For the next 3 weeks, I’ll be addressing how to Attract, Retain, Engage your staff / team members. Today we’ll address how to Attract top talent.
Attract
Attracting top talent is a process that starts with the Recruitment Process in a very defined methodology. Here are several ideas from the Recruitment Process we use.
The Recruitment Process:
Start by creating a formula for clear Job Postings that draws the best talent. Consider using an “Attraction Based Job Posting” template which step by step defines the posted job in simple terms, and what specific competencies the employer is looking for today. It is not dumping a job description in the job posting, but putting simple specific bullets of the needs of the organization.
Some examples of points to include:
- Company (Sell this as an organization someone would want to be)
- Benefits & Features (of the job)
- The Role the Individual Will Play (on the job)
- Community (features if the location/surrounding town of the job)
- Background Profile (Don’t say Requirements)
Get the word out by using an Employee Referral Program. Here’s how; set a formal monetary rewards scale; different dollar amounts depending on job title. For example, say you’ll give a $ 200 referral award for an engineer, and a $ 75 referral award for an administrative support person. Next when there is a job opening, ask your employees first ‘who do they know’; have them complete a form with the referred candidate’s resume attached and submit to Human Resources to track and give to the hiring manager, for consideration.
Referral candidates are usually great, because your employee would only refer someone they would also like to work with on a daily basis.
When a new hire starts, pay current employee their due referral reward within 30 days or less (don’t wait until 90 days; this lowers the number of referrals you get from employees and becomes counter-productive to your referral program.)
Lastly when the referred new hire starts, create a mini ‘Celebration’ to say we are glad you were referred and are now part of our team! (make a big deal of the connection).
Do you have a question about how to attract top talent? Email me and I will do my best to answer it in a future article.
Next week in the series: The Retention Process
MEET THE AUTHOR
Alysia Gaynor Kehoe, M.S., is the founder of Kehoe Consultants. She has over 20 years of experience human resource consulting and organizational development. Alysia specializes in helping organizations implement employee engagement programs, team building initiatives and human resource systems consulting.
You may reach her via email at alysia@kehoeconsultants.com or phone at (803) 785-0494.