Attracting and retaining talented employees can be a complicated task, especially since digitalization and globalization are so present in professional environments. Nowadays it’s common to find strong generational differences, different economic conditions, and much higher competition which can complicate things when looking to retain talent.
So, what strategies would you use to attract and retain employees? how to identify talented employees and how to attract quality candidates? What innovative ways to attract talent could you use? Let’s find some answers.Â
The importance of retaining the right employees
For starters, it is important to understand what attracts a person to work in a certain company, but also why an employee would seek to leave an organization. And, even though there can be lots of reasons, the main one is quite simple: the presence or lack of career and personal development. Â
We are living in times where simply working is just not enough. People need something more. They need to feel they can grow and develop or improve their skills, they want to become a part of a team and feel that their job is meaningful and personally satisfying. So, when you look for employee attraction and retention this needs to be at the top of your mind.
Ways to attract new talent
Let’s find out how to attract quality candidates for your organization.
Create compelling job descriptions
Firstly, if you are looking for new talents, you need to write a good job description. This needs to be much more than just a list of skills, role requirements or tasks to be done. You should include in your job description what mostly attracts candidates to a company, like information that would let them know a bit more about the company values and benefits of becoming part of the team.
In this job description, you should be coherent and cohesive with your brand. For example, if your company is fun and casual, show that by using laid-back expressions, and don’t be too serious or you won’t achieve the effect you are looking for.Â
Make good and balanced offers
Anytime a job seeker looks at a new job, the salary is normally one of the top priorities to look for. So if you want to attract top talent you must be able to offer and pay what they are worth.Â
Obviously, the best way to attract new employees is to make good offers, but it is not necessarily the most important aspect. Just keep in mind that if a company offers low or unfair salaries, the candidates will think negatively about it.
To find out what you should offer, take a look at what other companies do. It could also be helpful to use salary benchmarks (considering the location, role, experience, and if the job will be local or remote).Â
Other ways to compensate your employees for their good job could be bonuses or paid time off. Sometimes this is better than earning more money, and it also helps to keep them motivated.
Show that you care with benefits
The most important benefits offered by employers to attract good employees are all about the employee because it’s a win-win situation. The more you take care of your employees, the higher their well-being, satisfaction, and productivity will be.Â
So, don’t just offer them a salary, make them feel like they are a part of something bigger. For example:
- Create a more work-life balanced environment.
- Consider your employee’s career goals and try to align them with the company’s goals.
- Offer or finance training courses and mentorship programs.
- Create equity, diversity, and inclusion programs.
How to retain talentÂ
Once you are done with attracting job applicants, it’s time to retain that top talent.
Take care of the onboarding process
First, you need to know how to attract quality candidates. Once they are hired, you must work towards retaining that top talent, or otherwise, they might leave between the first three or six months. So make sure the onboarding process for the job is clear and it helps the employee step in nicely and easily.Â
Look out for low-engaged or burnout employees
Create an easy and open communication channel for any inconvenience that could come up at work. You should make your employees feel like they are heard and being taken care of. If there is a lot on someone’s plate, make sure they don’t burn out and consider relieving them of some tasks by hiring temporary staff or rescheduling.
Show good leadership
One of the most innovative ways to retain talent is not to be a boss, but to be a good leader. Remember: people don’t follow companies, they follow other people. A good leader is the best example for any employee. Some of the qualities of a good leader are:
- Bringing up the best in each of the employees.
- Encouraging teamwork.
- Showing good examples.
- Inspiring.
- Knowing how to attract and retain employees.
The importance of hiring and retaining the right employees is all about making them feel like they belong and they can grow along with the company. The benefits should be mutual and the relationship open-minded and communicational.Â
When hiring top talent, don’t forget to take care of your job descriptions and show what your company defends and cares about. Don’t be too short on your salary and complement it with other benefits that empower your employees (such as healthcare, work-life balance, or education).Â
And if you seek to retain that talent, make sure they have a nice welcome, along with an open channel for communicating any inconveniences. And most important of all: show them that they can rely on you as a good leader.Â
With all these recruitment strategies to attract and retain talent, you should be more capable of finding the best employees for your company.
Just make sure you remember it is not as much about yourself as it is about your employees, the better they are the more you will both win.Â
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