In today’s competitive marketplace finding and retaining top talent is critical. The generational shift in the workforce as well as changing technological demands makes hiring the right crew more important than ever before.
Organizational leaders are in-tune with this theory and recognize the importance of talent acquisition and retention strategies. In fact, a recent study found that over 86 percent of organizational leaders list talent development as an urgent priority. If you’re looking to improve the quality of talent at your organization, consider these tips:
Use a Variety of Sourcing Strategies
You can’t expect to throw your job opening on your website and call it a day. You’ll want to use multiple channels to advertise your company and any open positions. Social media, referrals, and career fairs are all great ways to source for candidates. While using multiple avenues may be more time consuming, it’s the way to go when sourcing new talent.
Do Your Research
This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many talent acquisition managers fail to do their research on a potential candidate. A simple internet search can unveil a host of information about a potential employee. Similarly, contacting references is another avenue for getting to know the candidate outside of the interview process. These steps may seem tedious and time-consuming, but they could save you some heartache in the long run.
Hire Based on Skills
Hiring trends suggest an inexperienced worker with the right skill set will make a better hire than someone with years of experience and the wrong attitude. Hiring managers should consider this trend when looking to fill a position. Someone who is teachable, resourceful and positive will be able to adapt and grow with an organization. Ask the leaders in each department to identify a list of desired competencies for their staff. This will help you sort through candidates and improve the quality of your selections.
Build a Learning Culture
Culture is key when it comes to retaining top talent. A learning-based culture creates a caring environment and an attitude of continuous improvement. Workers in an organization that values learning and development are more engaged, productive, and loyal. This mindset creates an overall pleasant place to work and will result in high rates of retention.
Create Accountability Measures
Designing a culture around performance and accountability is another way to retain top talent. Good employees want to work hard, contribute, and receive recognition for a job well-done. It can be demotivating to work for an employer that regularly permits laziness, disorganization, and lack of effort. As an employer, you’ll want to find creative ways to measure and recognize good performance and ensure your star players feel valued and appreciated.
These are just a few of the many ways you can attract and retain top talent. If you’re like most organizations, you can’t afford to miss the boat when it comes to your talent pool. Design measures that will stand the test of time and build your pipeline for the future.
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