| Recruiting "Top Talent" is critical to the success of | | | | them like executive recruiters or college placement |
| any organization. Without the best people, it is | | | | officers. If you are looking to fill entry-level positions, |
| difficult to achieve the best results. Thus, | | | | then you might look at recent graduates from |
| organizations must include a talent component to | | | | schools that have a good reputation for graduating |
| their overall strategy for success. A comprehensive | | | | students with degrees in the career fields you need. |
| talent strategy will include elements for recruiting, | | | | Look to develop relationships with college placement |
| development, and retention of top talent. Here are | | | | directors who know their students and can either set |
| some considerations for recruiting top talent: | | | | up interviews or provide referrals. If you need more |
| Focus on critical core positions first: Before you can | | | | experienced people, it is likely that the best talent is |
| look for new talent, make sure you look at your own | | | | already working for one of your competitors. You |
| organization first. These core positions will have the | | | | can either contact them directly or use the services |
| greatest impact and biggest payoff for your | | | | of a professional recruiter. Good recruiters specialize |
| company. Analyze your strategy and identify critical | | | | in industries and geographic areas. They know who |
| positions within your organization that are important | | | | the most talented people are within their territory. If |
| for success. Every organization will be different, and | | | | you develop a long-term relationship with a recruiter |
| even within the same industry, organizations will vary | | | | who specializes in your industry, they will be able to |
| depending upon their strategy. For example, if the | | | | connect you with the best talent in your area. If you |
| strategy calls for rapid growth based upon new | | | | choose not to use a recruiter, you can source leads |
| products, then perhaps engineers or design experts | | | | through trade association directors, vendors who call |
| will be most important. On the other hand if your | | | | on companies in your industry, or through direct |
| organization is focused on a strategy of slow and | | | | advertising. Whatever approach you use, acquiring |
| steady growth in mature markets, perhaps customer | | | | the best talent will be enhanced by developing |
| support staff might be more important. Once you | | | | long-term quality relationship with people who know |
| have identified the critical positions, then you are able | | | | the industry or with potential candidates directly. |
| to start to allocate resources and effort to find | | | | Tell a good story and deliver on your promises: Once |
| talented people for them. | | | | you make contact with quality candidates either by |
| Benchmark the critical positions and define key | | | | referral or direct contact, then you need to be able |
| performance factors: If you have not already done | | | | to communicate a compelling story and deliver on |
| so, it might be useful to benchmark the critical | | | | your promises. The best people will want to align with |
| positions. By using a consultant to help you identify | | | | the best opportunities in the best organizations. If |
| the key performance factors for these positions, you | | | | your organization is already among the top |
| can develop an assessment profile that will help you | | | | organizations within your industry, then it will be |
| measure a candidate's potential for these positions. | | | | easier to make a compelling case; however, if you |
| Assessments can be a very useful tool to help | | | | are with a start-up or second tier organization, then |
| screen candidates when combined with other | | | | you will need to explain your growth strategy. |
| information from personal interviews, references, and | | | | Although all candidates will be interested in |
| background checks. | | | | compensation and benefits, the best candidates will |
| Create an attractive brand: Every organization has a | | | | be equally interested in the culture, opportunities for |
| brand whether they like it or not; however, the best | | | | advancement, development opportunities, the work |
| organizations are careful to cultivate a positive brand | | | | environment, other people on the team, and overall |
| with customers and the general public. The brand is a | | | | stability and prospects for the company. When you |
| reflection of the sum total of the image an | | | | tell your story, it needs to be a complete picture of |
| organization projects by its interaction with | | | | the company, its future, and how the prospective |
| customers and employees, its advertising, and its | | | | candidate can play a significant role on your team. |
| reputation for its products and services to deliver | | | | The story needs to be compelling, but realistic. Don't |
| solutions. The most talented people want to work | | | | mislead the candidate, and make sure that you can |
| for the best organizations. An organization that has | | | | deliver on your promises. If you recruit top talent, |
| projected a positive image by carefully managing its | | | | and then lose them because they were misled, this |
| marketplace brand will have a distinct recruiting | | | | will hurt your prospects for recruiting other talented |
| advantage over others that have not been so | | | | people in the future. So while you need to tell a good |
| careful. When the brand is strong, candidates will | | | | story, make sure that it is also truthful. |
| seek out the organization and be more attracted to | | | | Recruiting top talent is a long-term project. You must |
| joining. Brand building is a long-term process, but | | | | do your homework to make sure that you know |
| when done correctly, it can have a positive impact on | | | | what kind of people you need for your organization. |
| recruiting the best talent. | | | | You must also make a commitment and build a |
| Target key recruiting pools using a rifle approach: | | | | foundation with a strong brand, solid relationships, and |
| After you have identified the critical positions, | | | | a strong work environment. If you are successful in |
| benchmarked key performance factors, and | | | | laying the foundation, then talented people will likely |
| managed your brand, then you need to find potential | | | | find you as your reputation grows. It does take time, |
| candidates. A targeted rifle approach usually works | | | | but if you execute a plan to lay the foundation for a |
| better than a shotgun advertising campaign. The best | | | | long-term recruiting program, then momentum will |
| way to do this is by developing relationships either | | | | carry you forward to success. |
| directly with candidates or with people who know | | | | |