Three Effective Techniques to Attract Top Talent 

Attracting talent is becoming increasingly difficult and competitive. A power shift has taken place, moving control from the employer to the employee.

In the past, job security, decent compensation, or at least a tangible opportunity was the price of entry for people into organisations. Now, a massive number of employees not only want to feel invested in the work they do, but they also want to see that their employer is invested in the same things they value and believe in. 

Effective techniques to attract new talent is a crucial determinant of how fast an organisation will grow and how much success it enjoys. It is important that an organisation attract top talent and do everything possible to recruit the people before they are scooped up by the competition. This article will discuss the three top techniques an organisation can adopt to attract top talent in the current market.

Employees were dissatisfied with their jobs before the pandemic. However, a need for a salary and an inherent reluctance to leave what was familiar kept them going. The pandemic has changed this mindset. Having lived through the vagaries and losses through the pandemic, workers are willing to take more risks and they have also taken another look at what they want from both their jobs and their lives.

The 2023 State of the Future of Work, a research report brought out by the University of Melbourne, sees the future of work as the future of demographic change. “The ageing of Australia’s population, the growth of the mature-aged workforce, the intensification of caregiving demands, and workplace discrimination faced by marginalised groups create major future challenges,” it said. Along with the maturing workforce comes a feeling that there is no time waste, it is time to pay attention to what they want as an employee and as a human being. Drawing on data provided by 1,400 Australian workers, the study found that though people might find the workplaces unsafe and discriminatory, that the work is actually making them unwell, and confused about how technology may impact them, they are also seeing a “greater opportunity to support workers to build happier, more satisfied work lives especially through the rise of flexible workplaces and flexible work practices”.  

Employees want to: 

• Feel valued 
• Work for a purpose  
• See the potential to grow 
• Have the flexibility to integrate work with their personal lives.

So why are we still seeing employee value propositions (EVPs) from 2019 in the marketplace when so much has changed since then? 

1. Have you refreshed your EVP post-pandemic?  

Every organisation must update its talent strategy — starting with a refreshed EVP as the cornerstone for attracting and retaining top talent.

Make it authentically yours by emphasizing what you value as an organisation. This means ensuring that you tell a good story as to who you are and what you stand for. It’s critical to connect social causes, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability to your EVP. This is what current employees and candidates are looking for, so make sure they clearly see who you are. 

2.Make learning a priority and create a learning environment.  

A Work Institute survey found that a lack of career development opportunities is the biggest reason why employees quit their jobs. If you want to retain your most valued employees, you must provide them with a clear path for future development. Each employee should have his or her own career development plan that is unique to his or her strengths and interests. 

Learning is essential for any organisation, and growth is synonymous with development. You need to focus on identifying areas where people can learn more skills or offer a position where they can apply existing skills yet have room for growth and development. The organisation must ensure that the employee experience is one of learning, development and growth.   

It might seem impossible to offer every employee personalized training, but any company can do so on scale when managers create a learning environment. 

Here are a few questions you can use to kick-start the process: 

• What parts of your job are most interesting and rewarding?
• What areas do you find most challenging right now?
• What are you doing to reach short- and long-term career goals? 
• Are there any other projects, committees you would like to be a part of or additional responsibilities you would like to take on? 
• Is there anything else you are curious about, something that you have not been able to explore yet? 

3.Walk the talk with employee experience 

Your words and actions must match the employee experience. Talk about where you are going as a company – your ambitions and intentions – but balance it with what you’re doing to get there. Anything you say will be meaningless if your internal environment and actions don’t support it. 

Foster a culture of belonging, flexibility, and growth. How does your organisation facilitate connection and inclusion? How does it help people learn and grow? How does it accommodate everyone’s unique needs? These are questions people seek answers to in both their job searches and the organisations they already work in. 

So, it is essential to first understand what the organisation does and what it needs and then come up with a holistic way to attract talent as this can be a great way to boost performance of both the employer and the employee. 

To summarize, attracting and maintaining top talent is a priority for any organisation that hopes to maximize its potential. By refreshing your EVP, providing learning environments, and walking the talk with employee experience, you can make sure your organization is engaging in effective recruitment and retention processes.

Are you struggling to attract talent and have open positions impacting productivity? Don’t hesitate; let us help you get on track!

With our twenty years track record and recruiting expertise we will help drive your business towards maximizing its talent pool. Employ adequate recruitment procedures, keep employees motivated, and create an atmosphere of professional growth—that’s how you will become known for having a great team!