The only path to success for big organizations is hiring young and talented individuals who can take it to higher rungs of success. Because it is the one-stop solution for any organization’s growth, hiring managers should pay special attention to hiring the right fit for their organization. This sounds pretty easy, doesn’t it? Here’s a catch- managing a pool of talented professionals is one thing and finding them is another. Now, how do companies find talent? If you have ever hired individuals, you must know the pain it takes from shortlisting to hiring the required fit. This ebook will help you with this painstaking process. If you try it our way, you wouldn’t even find it cumbersome. Want to know how exactly to attract the right talent for your brand? We have all the answers to your questions.
Importance of talent in your organization at present
More than anything, organizations these days need a fresh perspective, thanks to the ever-developing technology. Hiring these days isn’t just about shortlisting resumes and casual interviews. The competition has increased manifolds in recent years, be it between the candidates looking for their dream jobs, or organizations looking for their ideal employees. Since the competition is cut-throat, there’s no room for any mistake. One bad hire means one lost talent and the money wasted. Hiring young talented professionals isn’t just progressive; it is economical as well. This is why you should only look for people that have the potential to take your organization to new heights.
15 best ways to attract the right talent for your organization
Here are the 15 proven ways to attract the most talented individuals around you. Attracting talented individuals isn’t easy, especially at a time when every other organization is rooting for them. Therefore, go through these 15 ways and change your hiring game.
1. Offer the right environment for growth
Talent resides where there’s a scope for growth. No sane individual would want to work in an organization that offers no chance to grow and transform. It is smart to let the individuals know outright the opportunities they will get while working. The main concern of young & talented professionals is finding a platform where they can spread their horizons and multiply their learnings. Once they know your organization is inclined towards their learning and development, they will definitely choose your organization over the other.
2. Level-up the social media game
Both millennials and Gen-Z use social media on a daily basis and their life is immensely influenced by it. Be it Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, the youth is omnipresent in all the platforms. Having a good social media presence is a must if you want to attract the youth. Studies show that job seekers these days prefer brands with a strong social media presence. Brands like LinkedIn, Nike, Twitter, Burger King, etc., have taken the social media game to another level, hence gathering enough attention from the youth.
Today’s generation is more inclined towards brands that understand the youth and are more flexible. If you use social media to showcase the work environment, happy employees, and perks of working in your organization, talented youth will come to you like a moth to a flame.
A strong social media presence will attract ample talent to your organization, hence making it easier for hidden gems to choose your brand over another.
3. Work upon the vision and mission of the organization
A great organization has a clear vision of the future, along with a long-term mission. Without a vision and mission, organizations fail miserably, no matter how talented the workforce is. Having the right goals and objectives attracts the target employees.
Your vision could be anything progressive; something that inculcates development and advancement altogether. Also, keep in mind that your vision should be clear to the employer from day one. Individuals are more likely to join organizations that cultivate long and short-term goals to achieve the ultimate objective.
4. Incentivize learning
Learning is an integral part of everyone’s life. When it comes to talented individuals, learning plays a crucial role in motivating them and yielding the desired results. Organizations that incentivize learning are more popular than the ones that don’t. Incentives not only make employees feel good and keep them motivated but also encourage more employees to try new things. Incentives could be anything ranging from monetary benefits to bonuses. If you haven’t incentivized learning in your organization yet, it is high time to think about implementing it.
5. Make the best use of LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the bee’s knees when it comes to expanding professional networks. At present, it is the best platform where B2B and B2C relationships start. Millions of people use it daily to expand their network and find jobs, be it full-time or freelancing. A considerable amount of ambitious youth can be easily found on Linkedin. If your organization is looking for fresh-out-of-the-box talent, then LinkedIn is your gold mine.
Be it top organizations or startups, LinkedIn is where all the talent is clustered these days. Therefore, if you haven’t tried LinkedIn yet, this is the right time to explore and attract fresh talent there.
6. Focus on the content
The topic of social media is incomplete without talking about content. Nowadays, both big and small brands are consistently working towards improving their content game. From witty memes to informational video content, everyone is trying to be a cut above the rest. Having social media accounts is one thing and attracting potential employees after uploading quality content is another.
Even after knowing the impact of branded content on millennials and Gen-Z, there are brands that don’t really pay enough attention to it. Trust us on this, upping your content game is the most effective way of attracting talent, therefore, let the creative juices flow and attract unforeseen talent within months.
7. Inscribe flexibility and positivity in the work environment
Talented individuals aren’t able to work to their full potential when there are too many restrictions around. Work culture and flexibility, therefore, matter significantly to them. A flexible work environment that encourages employees to work according to their own will has shown better results than workplaces that have a rigid work schedule.
One great example of a positive and flexible workplace is the tech giant Google. It offers a varied degree of flexibility to each of their employees, therefore maximizing their productivity and keeping them happy. This also helps in maintaining a work-life balance and keeps the negative feelings and stress at bay.
8. Invite interns and visiting students
Most of the students and freshers these days choose internships before taking a full-time role in an organization. Internships are great as they not only give opportunities to freshers but also help the organization in finding the right fit. As an organization, you can collaborate with universities and hire interns before giving them a full-time role. Companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon regularly hire interns who later become full-time employees. This is a win-win situation for both parties.
Therefore, if you want to attract talented individuals, team up with education organizations and offer lucrative internship opportunities to them. Another way of attracting talent is by inviting students to visit your organization so they can see the work culture and evaluate the things going on their own. Some of the top employees can address a group of students or even offer courses to interested candidates, who can later take up or apply for an internship in the organization.
9. Put forth the philanthropic work of your organization
Big organizations often indulge in philanthropic work to work towards CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and work for a cause. If your organization has a philanthropic history or it works for a good cause, it is smart to mention it to every outsider. It would do two things:
- Build a positive rapport with your organization in front of the audience.
- Convert a portion of that talented audience into long-term employees.
10. Know more about the preferences of desired individuals
Taking an interest in the individual makes a huge difference. Some organizations don’t try to fit the talent into the role, they try to understand the talent and then structure the role according to it. Such organizations are less in number but they retain most of their employees for years to come.
Therefore, the pro tip to attract talent is to understand it and find the right way to fit it in your workforce. This is the best practice to follow if you want to retain a talented cohort in the longer run.
11. Organize a job fair or open house
Another way of inviting talent to your organization is by organizing a job fair or an open house for youngsters. This allows the potential employees to get the first-hand knowledge they need to make up their minds or to apply for a job. You can spread the word by contacting education organizations or on social media. Personal invites are also effective and create a better impression on individuals.
To cater to a wider audience, a virtual job fair is one option. Especially due to COVID-19, several people haven’t been able to physically attend such large gatherings. Therefore, a virtual event would also be just as successful, if done the right way.
12. Accentuate the importance of DEI in your organization
DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion. During the hiring process, it is important for organizations to mention if they follow DEI, or practice diversity, equity, and inclusion at the workplace. Organizations that are in favor of DEI or practice it on a daily basis are the ones that successfully hire talent. Including diversity means welcoming talent from a vast pool of talent.
Everyone wants to work in a comfortable and discrimination-free environment. You can mention the best practices your organization abides by to curb discrimination and to promote a healthier & positive work environment.
This process alone multiplies the chances of attracting desired candidates by three times.
13. Collaborate with top recruitment agencies
Recruitment agencies work rigorously towards finding talent for top organizations. The best thing about these agencies is they save a lot of time and give more than expected results. You can count on recruitment agencies if you have tried everything and still couldn’t get the desired results. These agencies know exactly what they are doing and deal with a large number of talented individuals at the same time.
Even if you don’t want to depend totally on these recruitment agencies, you can still collaborate with them in order to find a talented workforce for your organization.
14. Advertise the perks of working in your organization
Advertising is like the cherry on top for any organization. Without a proper advertising strategy, not a lot many people know about any brand. As a result, companies miss out on talented individuals most of the time. To avoid this from happening, you must level up your advertising. Spread the word about your work ethic, company culture, etc., on social media or any other advertising platform of your choice. If the advertising reaches the target audience, it is certain that you will add more stars to your workforce in a short time.
15. Be transparent about the company culture
Last but not the least, as an organization, be transparent when it comes to your company culture. Everyone loves to know things beforehand as it makes it easier to take the next step. Telling about the company culture is just as important as revealing the CTC(Cost to Company) or package.
A toxic or weak company culture won’t attract talented employees. Even if they somehow start working, they will resign once they get to know the ground reality. Cultivating a great company culture takes years, but it is worth the investment.
If your organization doesn’t have a workable company culture, identify the areas that need improvement and work on them immediately. It is not something that can be achieved in a day; it might take months or even years. However long it takes, once you have achieved a company culture you are proud of, talent will not only come flocking towards you but will stay for longer as well.
Things to avoid while attracting talent
Now that you know how to attract talent to your organization, it is also crucial to know the things that you shouldn’t do during this process. Here are some of the red flags to stay away from, or to avoid, while finding the right candidate.
- Solely depending on the interview
This is a huge red flag. Relying solely on the interview without considering other aspects like the resume or previous employer is a big mistake. Some individuals might sound talented but can actually be below-average when it comes to performance. Therefore, don’t fall for confident words and do your research before sending that offer letter.
- Nepotism
More often than not, people tend to favor their acquaintances/friends/family members over anyone else. This might be a derogatory thing for the organization as talent doesn’t get the right attention here. Nepotism also leads to workplace partiality and other conflicts within the work environment.
- No follow-ups
Giving no follow-ups to candidates who haven’t been selected is unethical and also reduces the chances of them applying for another position in your organization in the future.
- Not considering the in-house talent
Don’t always look for freshness because old is gold. Yes, this metaphor perfectly explains employees that already work and are a good fit for a vacant role. Invite them to apply for new positions and that’s how you can nurture talent that has been around you for a few years.
- False job description
A false JD is misleading and can attract individuals who don’t have the same background or potential that you are looking for. Therefore, pay special attention while compiling the job description.
- Not having enough time
Hiring is an ongoing process and demands time and patience. Lack of time clearly leads to bad hires and costs a fortune to the company later. Therefore, it is best to take the required time while hiring.
- Trusting blindly on referrals
Referrals work most of the time but have their own cons. Sometimes, referrals are biased and promote nepotism, therefore, it is best to double-check.
- Not counting on overqualified individuals
Most hiring managers believe that overqualified individuals don’t stay for long. This is a big misconception that leads to lost opportunities. Overqualified individuals might seem too good to be true, but they can take your organization to new heights, maybe single-handedly.
Conclusion
Attracting talent to your organization isn’t a one-day thing. The whole process takes a lot of time and patience from the recruitment team. In this era of cut-throat competition, it might be overwhelming to attract the right fit for your organization, but it’s not impossible. Follow all the strategies mentioned here and experience the unprecedented response from talented individuals far and wide.
