5 Strategies to Attract Top Talent
What is one of the biggest challenges facing companies today? Finding, attracting and hiring qualified tech talent. Top tech talent has become a scarce commodity to recruit… According to Indeed, hundreds of companies are finding it significantly more difficult to hire qualified technologists today, than in previous years. Furthermore, over seventy five percent of businesses recently polled, revealed that a lack of tech talent has seriously impacted their ability to do business and/or has slowed their R&D efforts. As a result, an overburdened workforce can lead to increased levels of disengagement and burnout.
This Game of Thrones style struggle forces companies to compete for the top tech talent in the same way they compete for customers. With a plethora of options, qualified and experienced technologists are no longer beating down the doors of companies looking for work. The tables have turned, and now companies must go the extra mile to attract and capture the kind of technical know-how and brilliance that was once as abundant as smart phones. Progressive Talent Acquisition leaders are treating recruiting in the same way that a marketer treats customer acquisition. These leaders agree that there are several basic strategies to strengthen a company’s value proposition, and bring the best and brightest to its door.
So… what are these strategies?
Sell the company like a Marketer
When it comes to recruiting the best and brightest in technology the roles have reversed — candidates no longer need to worry about selling themselves to a company, as much as the company needs to worry about selling itself to them. Candidates — both passive and active — must be made aware of the factors that will affect their decisions. This may include, but is not limited to: compensations, benefits, opportunities for growth and development, a viable company culture, and of course, who they would collaborate with. Companies need to put their best foot forward when in discussions with top tech recruits, and be sure to highlight offerings in line with the candidates’ dreams and goals. Show them that their interests align with the company interests.
Dispense with formality
There is a time and a place for everything, and that includes the more formal aspects of a job interview. It is time to bring back humanity back into the interview process, and show potential candidates a more relaxed, people-first atmosphere. This will demonstrate a progressive and flexible company culture. Scott Schwab, co-founder of Bottega School of Technology believes that “once salary issues are out of the way, what persuades most recruits to hire on is the team spirit displayed and the overall environment — so take the recruit out to a non-formal lunch with company team members and let them do your selling for you, telling the potential recruit about the company goals and methods.”
Talk about the “WHY”
People intrinsically want to be part of something ‘bigger than themselves’. In the professional context, purpose keeps morale high and engages individuals leading to highly engaged teams. Thoughtfully, progressive business leaders say that when a company has a dynamic company vision — which clearly states its purpose, goals for growth and commitment to excellence — potential employees become very excited about being part of the bigger picture. Conversely, if a company uses a disingenuous or boilerplate statement, they can pretty much forget about attracting anyone in the top fifteen percentile.
Think like the Candidate
When interviewing candidates, it is crucial to hear, understand and address their questions, doubts, ambitions, and thoughts. The interview process as like an investigation. The interviewer is the detective trying to understand the motives of a prime suspect. The interviewer displaying a high IQ helps uncovers what a candidate (re: suspect) is thinking, and what their master plan is. Once that knowledge and intuition is gained, you can track down the suspect and bring them to justice — or, in the case of a recruit, you can highlight the company’s offering that matches what the candidate wants, how they want it.
Be transparent when discussing employment details
Like it or not, the days of ‘lowballed’ offers and benefit negotiations are fast waning. Top talent knows their value. Conversely, a company knows what it can offer. Do not attempt to take advantage of candidates. They are not interested in being undermined or wasting time with unnecessary negotiations. Additionally, it is key to remember that candidates are complex human beings with complex lives (none of us are exempt). With this is mind, flexibility and empathy is key. Like everything we’ve discussed, this sets the stage for a great employment partnership — one where the candidates begin employment as a very loyal and highly engaged employee. Ultimately, this creates the best band ambassadors.
Wrapping up… Top talent want a transparent consumer grade hiring experience. Companies need to embrace transparency, and Talent Acquisition teams need to begin thinking like marketers i.e. think like their target audience.
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Hi! I’m Zeb, the Founder of tech recruiting firm Blackprint. I’ve made it my goal to shift the way recruiting is viewed and reintroduce the human factor to talent acquisition. I’m always open to challenging conversations that push the limits and, most importantly, promote growth. If you feel the same, say hello!
