The tight labour market requires companies to adopt a recruitment strategy that recognises that engagement begins well before the interview process or employee commencement date. Your employment brand is made up of the market perception of potential employees, current employees and former employees. Creating a compelling candidate experience and perception helps your company stay one step ahead of the competition and differentiate you as the employer of your choice. 

Researchers agree that the best way to hire and retain top talent is to create a corporate culture in which the best people want to work, a culture where people are treated with respect and consideration at all times. 

The Recruitment Process

Partnering with a recruitment agency can eliminate the problems and uncertainties of hiring and optimise your talent pool. An external agency will broaden your internal talent acquisition team by offering a wider pool of candidates, shortening initial review time and recruiting measures by providing additional resources to keep the hiring process quick.

Another way to recruit employees is to use your brand to reach and attract talent with technical skills. Once you get their attention, you need to get their email address. To achieve this, you can use various lead generation ideas, such as organising events, using social media or Linked In or using an employee referral program.

Another interesting recruitment strategy is where an industry leader is hired and recruits a team of people who have previously worked with them and are proven to deliver high-quality results. 

Retaining Top Talent 

The most difficult part of building a successful organisation is likely to be recruiting, hiring and retaining top talent. Unfortunately, this also means that members of your team are looking for other ‘better’ options.

Millennial workers have a reputation for switching jobs and constantly looking for the next best thing. Keeping top talent is a challenge for many companies, but there are several things you can do to increase the likelihood that your young, talented team will stay a little longer than average. 

Below are some ways you can help ensure you retain your current talent.

Look Out For Your Employees

Today’s employees desire flexibility and mobility in the workplace. The days of strict 9-to-5 hours have passed. In their place, millennials especially are keen to receive flexible working hours, remote working options and sabbaticals. Family is very important to these workers and it important that staff feel like they are being given the time they need to balance work and family life evenly.

Level Up Your Employee Engagement Strategy

Many employees nowadays do not feel engaged with their jobs or their companies so it is important that you find ways to link performance management with engagement 

Try investing time and money in developing the right strategy and implementing the right technology to ensure your engagement is both up-to-date and impactful. It is also important that you are listening your employees and have their best interests in mind as well as those of the business when making big decisions about the company.

Employee engagement can be directly linked to business success and so it is in the business’ best interest to invest in engagement.

Provide Regular Constructive Criticism and Recognition

In even the most successful of workers, negative criticism will destroy motivation. There is a place and time for constructive criticism but be careful how you show it to your staff and express it. 

Try restructuring or substituting your review at the end of the year with a more straightforward and honest way of communication. Consistent, one-on-one meetings in person are a great way to give constructive criticism, suggestions, advice, and encouragement to your talent. Try also giving small constructive criticism, or positive feedback more regularly instead of saving it all for one big review= 

Offer Professional Development

Keep your employees up-to-date and ensure that they are fully aware of the various certification, training and educational opportunities available to them. Most businesses provide partial or complete coverage of tuition and/or time off work to complete classes and schooling to enable employees to take advantage of additional training schemes.

Providing consistent access for your staff to opportunities for professional development would create a system where education and development are respected.

By following these simple steps you will be well on your wat to recruiting and recruiting top talent for you business going forward.