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The Best Ways to Attract Top Talent

Who thought that having too many job options could be a bad thing? While it may be a win for highly qualified job seekers, it can make a recruiter’s job even more difficult when looking to hire top talent.

Mobile apps from companies like LinkedIn and Indeed have put the job search quite literally in the palms of candidates’ hands. A Pew Research Center study found that 54% of Americans have taken their job search online, while 45% have applied for a job online.

Employers must now entice potential candidates with more than just the promise of a hefty salary, and below are some examples of how to go above and beyond to attract that top-level talent.

Professional Development and Growth

A recent study by recruiting firm The Execu|Search Group found that the opportunity for professional development is the leading factor influencing a candidate’s decision to accept a job offer. Not only will this help attract quality hires, but the more satisfied your employees are with the opportunities for growth that you provide, the less likely they are to want to leave you for a competitor.

Work-Life Balance

In terms of job desirability, work-life balance comes in a close second after professional development. Providing flexibility when it comes to your employees’ work schedules is critical. More and more companies are allowing employees to work flextime hours or remotely from home. Research has consistently shown that an overworked staff is actually less productive, so you have lots of reason to strive for a healthy work-life balance beyond just attracting talent.

Teamwork

They say there’s no “I” in “team,” so it’s no surprise that studies have found that team-building activities improve communication as well as morale. Some simple examples include weekly team meetings, open seating arrangements, regular off-site activities, or the hiring of a team-building firm or consultant.

Independence

Team talk aside, the luxury of hiring top-tier candidates is that you can trust them to work independently. According to findings in The Journal of Occupational Health and Psychology, employees are more likely to succeed if they’re self-motivated. Employees perform better, are more engaged, and have a deeper investment in the company’s overall success as a result.

Corporate Culture

According to Psychology Today, the average person spends some of 90,000 hours at work over the course of their life. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that corporate culture is critical to our happiness. A company and colleagues that share an employee’s values and are committed to that individual’s satisfaction and comfort, in turn, makes that employee happy, which improves their job performance.

Creative Thinking

Thinking creatively shouldn’t just be left to “creative types.” When all employees are being creative is when they’re at their most engaged and are therefore experiencing the greatest enjoyment from what they do. According to a Gallup study, 70% of employees are not engaged at work. It’s another reason to increase the opportunities for your staff to express their creativity.

Critical Thinking

Creativity and problem-solving go hand-in-hand and produce similar positive results in terms of job satisfaction. When there’s opportunity for employees to be challenged and think critically, it makes them more connected, and also encourages collaboration between team members.

Greater Purpose

With millennials now a major presence in the job market, purpose has become far more of a priority, by as much as 50%. Job seekers are increasingly likely to want to work for a company that will allow them to have an impact on causes and issues that are important to them – and may pass up a job opportunity if they don’t feel they’ll be able to get this sense of greater fulfilment. Giving employees a sense of purpose makes them more loyal to you and your company.

Perks

While rewards and perks may not rank as high in importance to employees today as they did in years past, they can still be a compelling reason to join an organization. While not all companies can provide three catered meals a day like some Silicon Valley firms do, little things count too. The occasional paid-for staff lunch, half-day Fridays, and performance incentives are a few ideas to keep employees performing at peak levels.

Health Benefits

A Glassdoor survey found that 57% of people consider benefits before accepting a job. Investing in things like health benefits for your employees ensures that they’re healthy, happy, and more productive. While it may cost you as an employer to offer health benefits, the rewards of being able to lure top-quality talent by doing so will pay off in the long run with a strong team. Plus, it shows your employees that you care about them.

Everyone deserves to feel valued and to work for a company that puts their employees’ happiness and success first. Remember, if you want to attract top talent, your company has to be on top of its game.

Laura D’Angelo | Contributing Writer

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