February 12, 2024
Here’s How To Impress Prospective Employees
Human resources experts and hiring consultants agree that employers need to up their game when it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent.
Originally Published March 2, 2015
Human resources experts and hiring consultants agree that employers need to up their game when it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent. As the economy improves, passive and active job seekers will have their pick of positions, and it will take a lot of effort from companies to hold onto the employees they need to grow.
BLACK ENTERPRISE wanted to hear what business owners should keep in mind when trying to recruit and retain top talent from members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. Here’s what they had to say:
Leverage Your Company’s Strengths
No two companies are the same. If you want to recruit and retain top talent, then find people who have the skills you need, but are also passionate about the work you are doing. I always look for people who have the “fire in the belly” for our technology or space. This often leads to employees who enjoy their work more and are more difficult for other companies to poach.
Create a Company Culture Your Employees Can Be Proud Of
Giving your employees something to brag about to their families and friends will not only help you keep your current top performers, but also create a buzz and attract new talent to your brand. Creating an energetic and inviting company culture by putting your employees first will keep your top talent raving about you and your company.
Cover All Bases
At EGFS, recruiting is a business development process. We cover all bases by reaching out to our network for referrals plus scouting top talent at competitors, universities, and business incubators/accelerators. We retain talent by making sure all hires share our vision and passion, giving them independence—we operate in a virtual office environment—and trusting in their abilities.
– David Ehrenberg
Create an Open and Honest Work Environment
Existing and potential employees will be motivated by a workplace that promotes honest and open communication. They will work harder knowing exactly what is expected of them and that they can talk to peers, managers, and the executive team comfortably. Top talent will be attracted knowing that their opinions are valued and retained employees will feel comfortable and equal with others.
Hire a Recruiting Agency
Recruiting is a time-intensive task and most business owners don’t have the time to screen applicants to find the right fit. Start with a great job description and a series of mini tests with specific questions designed to reveal skills and passions. Hand it all over to the agency and let them do the work of narrowing the selection down to three to five candidates for you to interview and choose from.
– Nicole Munoz
Demonstrate Your Company’s Value
You need to present your company as worthy of consideration by top talent. The interview and hiring process goes both ways, so make sure your company is presenting well, too. By showing the value you offer to potential employees, the discussion becomes more collaborative and focuses on how each side can benefit from the other.
– Jason Kulpa
Keep the Bar High
Recruiting is a momentum play, and it starts by keeping the hurdle for hiring extremely high. Great talent is attracted to working with great talent. While it can be difficult to get the virtuous recruiting flywheel spinning, avoid the urge to fill seats with anything but the best—and keep raising the bar with each new hire. Soon recruiting will become self-sustaining.
Start With the Best
If your first engineer is amazing, other engineers will want to work with them. If your founder is great, talented people will want to work for them and invest in them. Starting with the best you can get, is my No. 1 strategy because it has more of an effect on your recruiting and retaining outcomes than almost anything else. The early leaders in your organization will set the benchmark.
Listen to Their Ideas
We give our employees a lot of autonomy to run with their ideas, and it’s worked well so far, driving the company to develop in unexpected but lucrative directions. Build a reputation as a place where talented people can realize their ambition and fulfill their potential, and you’ll end up hiring not only talented people, but exactly the kind of people who can take your company to the next level.
– Tomer Bar-Zeev
Follow the Golden Rule
Remember the reason you started your business in the first place. For me, I felt like I could build a company better than the company I once worked for simply by appreciating my team members. If we focus on treating others as we would want to be treated, we will always recruit/retain the best talent in our industry. In the last seven year period, our employee retention rate is over 96 percent.
– Matt Telmanik
Ask for Employee Referrals
Use your best employees as a referral source. If you establish a referral program, you will find new talent while rewarding your top talent, and incentivize them to stay with the company. Your top employees can recognize great talent, and will thrive even more when they are surrounded by it and feel like they are part of the recruiting process.
Focus on Cultural Fit
To me, cultural fit is simple: If this person was part of our team, would he or she make it more or less likely for the next person to want to join the company? Great people follow great people. One bad hire will not only hurt your bottom line, but will keep other good people from joining your company and drive away the good people you currently have.
– Sathvik Tantry
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