A high unemployment rate in a country creates a bad scenario for employers – a lot of open jobs but not the same number of qualified candidates to fill them. 

This environment is a great environment for employees – there are so many jobs and organizations to pick from so a person can really find a perfect job and organization. 

As a business, having an open position doesn’t necessarily mean that people will flock to your job opening which puts business owners in a predicament. How can you attract the right talent to your business? As a business owner, this can be a huge challenge for you. 

Knowing that your business is essentially competing for candidates, there are some things you can do that will help you attract that top talent and have them choose your business.

The biggest question is: what can you do to attract and hire top talent to work for you?

Closeup of two smiling business men shaking hands in cafe. One man is sitting back to camera.

Be Transparent

Be transparent with your jobseekers. This isn’t just limited to the perks and the salary of the job – this also includes being transparent about the hiring process. 

It is still very important to be honest and upfront about the salary. This is usually one of the first things a jobseeker wants to know. If the salary is right and fair in the market, you’ll find more top talent attracted to your open job and your business.

Also be transparent in what skills, education, and responsibilities you are looking for in candidates. Don’t forget, both skills and experience are useful so don’t count someone out if they don’t have 100% of what you need but do make it clear from the start (like even in the job posting) what you are looking for in your candidates. Research shows that the number one thing candidates want to learn during interviews is the responsibilities of the role – be sure to provide all necessary details upfront and answer all their questions. This is also a really good reason to make sure your job posting is clear and easy to understand. 

Let them know your hiring timeline and length of interview process to help them decide if they’ll continue to apply or not. If candidates are expected to go through multiple interviews on different days, or if candidates must wait for a certain time period after the last interview to hear from your business, or any other scenario that applies to your hiring process just be upfront with candidates. It’s important to let your candidates know so they have clear expectations of you and your business.

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Make the interview process a great experience for the candidates. Long interviews with irrelevant questions may discourage them from engaging further with your company. Studies show that how well a business conducts an interview or interview process is a deciding factor for potential candidates to decide whether to join your organization or not. Since the market still favors the job seeker, a business must remember that the best candidates have many job opportunities to consider or even offers!

Lastly, it’s so important to follow up with candidates no matter if they got the job or not. After the interview process, make them feel that you appreciate their efforts regardless if you hire them or not. That can be done with a simple email to them after the first interview and then a follow up when you fill the job if you didn’t choose them. It’s about keeping the communication channels open from the start. This will work to keep the door open for that top talent to potentially join your organization in the future.

Smiling businessmen listening to young female during interview

Your Brand Does Matters 

Do you know that some candidates would consider leaving their current job if they were approached by a company with an excellent offer that also has a great “brand”? Your company brand is basically what your employees think and say about your organization to their network. It’s one thing to provide a great and competitive salary but it’s another to work to create a culture that excites and motivates your employees.

Top talent will weigh and consider the environment within the organization, the people they’ll be working with (the diversity of your workforce), and also the benefits your organization provides (which includes life and health insurances, paid sick leave, flexible schedules, and retirement plans) they will receive when working with you. 

Show off your company culture digitally and also talk about it during the interviews. Spend time in the interview process talking about what you do that’s different at your organization and how you value employees. Let them know that you acknowledge individual contributions, you treat employees with respect and show them that their personal goals matter to you. It is important also to let them feel that they’re valued and the company they’ll be working with promotes growth and better working experiences. 

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Employee Retention Speaks Volumes

A quality, experienced employee is a real asset to your company. In fact, a high employee retention rate creates positive outcomes that create more profits for your business. There are many different ways to maintain your employee retention. Asking your current staff what you could be doing better, focusing on early onboarding and continued education, recognizing the hard workers in your organization, and hiring right the first place to reduce turnover all play into your employee retention strategy. Working on all the ways to keep your employees at your organization and working for you will keep them motivated and passionate in doing their job.

Employee retention can also be created by having the right onboarding process and system for new hires. Creating these clear learning opportunities for your employees shows that your business is invested in them and excited to have them as part of the team. Great onboarding processes are there to help a new hire get acclimated to their job role and department and the company overall. Onboarding and continued education gives your employees the tools they need to do their job effectively and to also acquire new skills to help deepen their skill set and add value to your organization. 

Better employees also mean better production overall and a heightened customer service experience for your customers. If you pay competitive wages and include incentives that other competing companies don’t you’ll see more success in both smart hiring from the get-go and better retention overall. Your employees will be highly encouraged to work harder and perform well if you care about them. So maintain a healthy, friendly, supportive and ethical workplace where people want to stay to grow their careers and personal goals. 

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Hire the Best Candidates The First Time

Let GTR help you add more muscle to your hiring. Nurturing relationships is important but takes valuable time away from you and your team. We have over 18 years of experience in placing candidates and are ready to help you. Contact us today so we can help you Build A Workforce That Works.