How can you attract the best talent?

When I working started in recruitment in 2010 we were coming out of recession, unemployment was at 8% (compared to the current rate of 4.8%) and candidates jumped through as many hoops as necessary to secure any role, never mind their dream opportunity. The last few years have seen an increase in the number of available opportunities together with a growing skills shortage resulting in fiercer competition for the industry’s finest professionals. So how do you attract the best talent? I have outlined 2 initial focus areas and will be following these up in more detail with further blogs over the coming weeks; What is your Value Proposition? In the current candidate led market and battle for the best talent, it is vital you are clear on what you have to offer as an employer and why candidates would want to join your team. This is known as your Employer Value Proposition. Projecting a clear and attractive employer brand is key. Creating a positive perception of what it is like to work at your company is the best way to establish your credibility as a top employer and is a fundamental part of attracting, recruiting, retaining and engaging the right people for your business. Do your Hiring Managers understand why candidates should choose you? Once you have defined your employer value proposition, communicating it across the organisation is the next step. Your whole team, especially Hiring Managers, are responsible for conveying your proposition to current and potential employees. For this reason, getting the right people for your HR team is essential; these are the people that will represent your business, your values, brand personality, culture and what you offer as an employer. Although HR play a crucial role in communicating the employer value proposition, employees at all levels of the business must be on board and engaged too. An employer brand cannot be forced upon your team so it must be true to your culture and accurately reflect your organisation. Your employer brand is built through every touchpoint you have with employees and needs to be consistent throughout the employee lifecycle including;

• Recruitment and selection
• On-boarding (read our earlier blog on how you can on board new employees to give them the best start possible)
• Induction and training
• Development and support
• Career paths
• Benefits, rewards and incentives
• Even through to their exit and beyond!

Getting your value proposition right and communicating it through all of the appropriate channels will stand you in good stead to secure the best talent for your business! We have an extensive network of the very best HR and talent acquisition candidates in the UK, get in touch today on 0203 805 7004 or danrowe@castuk.com if you’d like amazing people to join your team.