3 Reasons Why Recruitment Starts with Retention
How do the great brands in any industry consistently recruit the top talent? What are the Googles, Facebooks, and Salesforces of the world doing to attract their people? Sure, these companies are household names and ranked by Forbes as a “best place” to work. However, they didn’t start out that way. The magic sauce that brought the best minds into their company, but more importantly retained them long-term is simple: they treat their existing team extraordinarily well.
Leading companies proactively build and manage culture. They are constantly innovating which results in higher retention rates along with the best recruiting opportunities. People want to work for these businesses thanks to their reputation and the exceptional work they perform. Expanded benefits are nice but maintaining a company that values each individual’s contributions and continually strives for excellence have far more influence than vacation perks or reasonable healthcare. Here are three (3) important factors to pay attention to when evaluating your recruiting plan:
- The Best Ambassadors. How do prospective employees and sales professionals learn about your company culture? Look around. Your current team talks to their own network about work life in casual conversations every day. That conversation and the story they tell can either be a positive or a negative one. Give them every reason to remain your very best brand ambassadors.
- Monitor Your Online Profile. Websites like Glassdoor solicit input to help rank a company’s work environment. It’s easier than ever to conduct research into how companies treat their people. This is also an opportunity to speak directly to your audience and make a compelling argument why they would want to work for you.
- Style Matters. There’s no need for a less than professional approach to attracting talent if you are delivering a high level of support and treating everyone with respect. No poaching, no negative selling about your competition. Rather, tell the industry about your great work, establish a higher set of expectations and as a direct result, your first-class reputation will naturally bring the talent to you.
Yes, there will be those who move on. It’s inevitable – family, money, or accidental missteps by management can all lead to changes. That’s not a reason to avoid investing and nurturing existing relationships.
Remember, the people who work for you are your ultimate voice in the market, now and in the future. Everyone matters, from the front desk to your top performing sales professionals. Not all companies need sleep pods, ping pong tables or beer gardens to woo bright minds.
If you really want to advance your recruiting efforts, it starts with listening to and respecting the opinions of others around you. Give your collective team the right tools to succeed in their work. Find new ways to add value to your company culture and those that were instrumental in getting you where you are today – only then will you fully reap the recruitment rewards.
