Whatever industry you operate in, and whatever your organisation happens to be, it is very important to get yourself positioned wherever possible as the best option as an employer.  The only way to meet rising customer expectations is to attract the best talent, especially if you are wanting to drive your costs down and increase your efficiency.

All employers these days need to carefully think about ways they can become even more appealing to the most desirable job seekers that are available – those who can potentially add significant value to their businesses in the long, medium or short-term.

This is not an easy thing to do, especially in some industries that are faced with a talent shortage and increasing gaps in skill.  It is very important to think about what things you can do to retain, motivate and attract employees – to ensure that the finest individuals want to work for your specific organisation.

Some of the most important issues to consider are culture, leadership style, learning and development as well as salary.  What exactly are the best job seekers looking to get from prospective employers?  What can you do during the interview process to impress the best candidates?

 

First Impressions

 

Just as employees need to create a good first impression, so do you. You want your business to seem top notch and as such you should present yourself and it in that way. A nice reception with some pizazz will help. Add a water fountain to your wall or some art to really take things up a notch. A nice receptionist and an efficient manner also helps with this.

 

Compensation

 

For professional people, pay isn’t always the main motivating factor, however it is always important.  If you offer someone with expertise below what the going rate is it might actually insult them in addition to dampening their interest in your position.  Therefore it is important to be knowledgeable about what the expected level of pay is – based on what other organizations in your industry are offering.  As an employer, it is important to offer what the going rate is – enough to ensure that job seekers will be interested in your position, but not so much that you end up paying more money that you can afford to pay.  The Robert Half Salary Guide and other consulting tools will enable you to benchmark your company’s compensation against other business to make sure your pay is competitive.

 

Employee benefits

 

One positive move you can do to attract top talent is to offer an attractive benefits package.  A couple of important pre-requisites that job seekers are looking for are a large number of days of annual leave and generous pension contributions.  Other potential benefits that might make a difference may include free tickets to sporting events or shows, discounts, gym passes, childcare vouchers or a company car.

 

Potential for earning bonuses

 

Many employers are very interested in seeing some kind of direct correlation between what their personal performance is and how much their take home pay is for the month.  They might be seeking information on an incentive scheme or bonus that your organisation offers at the interview, and how they it can potentially benefit them.  According to a Robert Half survey 41% (four in ten) of HR directions have raised their bonuses to obtain and then retain top talented individuals.

 

Lifestyle options

 

If a job candidate lives in a different part of the country, then they might be interested in learning more about your local area and what it offers.  For most people, a job tends to be more about the whole package – the role, prospects and location, from both a family and work perspective.  This can be used by employers to their advantage if their local area has some attractive features – for example, the office might be located within a thriving city centre, or near a beautiful area.  Hiring managers can consider what an individual candidate’s interests are – by using information provided on the person’s CV – and then focus the discussion on lifestyle around it in order to promote the local area in the best possible way.

 

Professional development

 

Candidates are always very interested in learning more about how your organisation approaches staff development, and the amount of support that is available for people seeking to obtain new qualifications and skills.  As a hiring manager, your main objective is to fill a certain role, however the candidate most likely has an entire career plan mapped out. Interviewees want to be certain they will be provided with plenty of opportunity to develop under your employment to advance their careers – potentially through receiving study time, attending courses or through a mentorship – either as an an organisation-wide program or a tailored scheme.