5 ways to find and attract the best talent in a hot job market

The job market is hotter and more competitive than it has ever been. Candidates are justifiably using the numerous opportunities available to their advantage. That said, companies must be more intentional than ever to draw interest from exceptional talent. Here are five effective ways to find and attract outstanding candidates.

1. Expand Your Branding Investments to Target Potential Employees.

Companies are often heavily invested in branding efforts to attract future customers – however, many forget to treat potential employees as targets for their branding strategy. To build rapport with prospective candidates, marketing should focus on this key segment as well.

Utilize social media to show future employees what it is like to work with you. Give potential candidates a glimpse into your office, feature your employees, show off your workplace perks, and, most importantly, highlight your culture and community involvement. People like to see your firm’s “behind the scenes” to understand better how they might fit in your company.

2. Build a System to Help Maintain Relationships with Prospective Candidates.

It is critical to maintain a solid pipeline of talent to fill your open positions. Effective information management will help the recruiting process run more smoothly. That said, your organization must utilize a comprehensive system to track and maintain all candidate information. This will give you a broader base to start your search for specific positions, and it will allow you to maintain candidates beyond a specific hiring iteration.

If the candidate is not a fit for a specific position, you will be able to reengage at a later moment for a different role. This also allows you to capture general interest applicants, which will help build out your contact list for future opportunities.

Finally, current employees can offer highly qualified, prospective candidates for consideration, regardless of whether a relevant position is currently open. By maintaining a thorough candidate database that captures prospective employees from these various sources, your organization will build and benefit from a strong candidate bench.

3. Foster Flexible Timing into Your Hiring Process.

The hiring process is not intended to be a reactive pursuit. Rather, your team should focus on being proactive by looking at least a year out when planning for your hiring needs. This will allow a more intentional hiring process, including more intensive preparation, time to engage with candidates, and thorough job descriptions. These efforts will help you find better-aligned candidates and prepare you for any unexpected hiring needs.

With that said, you may be forced into a position where an ideal candidate for your company culture and general industry comes your way before you are fully “ready” to formally open a particular position. In this market, you may have to move on the candidate anyway and hire prematurely. Be prepared for candidate timing to influence your hiring decisions. Flexibility will allow you to jump on top talent when top talent presents itself.

4. Align Your Compensation Packages with the Market.

 When you do not offer competitive compensation, you set yourself up to be disappointed with your candidate pool as well as their performance. Be sure to provide well-rounded and complete compensation packages for your current and future employees.

Start by researching what the market is currently proposing for your specific positions. Use this as a benchmark for building your compensation packages. From there, build out a package that is clear and holistic relative to all associated benefits.

Finally, do not shy away from publicizing your compensation packages. This will draw an influx of talented candidates who are not being compensated sufficiently at their current firm, making your hiring process more competitive and open to better talent.

5. Leverage a Recruiting Agency, as Necessary.

The fight for talent is on. There is no denying that the hiring market has entered a new phase of competitiveness, and it shows no signs of changing anytime soon. Companies are actively laboring to retain candidates while growing and creating new positions, decreasing the number of active and passive candidates searching for jobs.

If your organization is overwhelmed with hiring needs, consider bringing on a recruiting agency to ease the process. Here at Lutz Talent, we work hard to understand your goals and challenges to ensure we provide impressive results. Our massive candidate database allows us to tap into a wide array of individuals with specific skill sets that will undoubtedly meet your needs.

Moreover, we work with passive candidates, giving you access to a pool of talent that would otherwise not be brought to your attention. Our ability to leverage the Lutz network and our unique process gives us the edge you need. Our team will help you navigate this incredibly tough market with success.

There has never been a better time to review your hiring process to ensure you are attracting the best talent. If you have any questions about this article or our recruiting services, contact Lutz Talent for assistance. You can also check out our current opportunities to see what jobs we have available.