Link to the royalty-free image from Cytonn Photography here

The success of a business – or lack thereof – is largely due to the quality of its employees. If you believe in this adage, then you should be prioritizing your recruitment strategy. 

Whether you are targeting active job seekers – people who are unemployed and are aggressively searching for a job – or passive job seekers – people who are currently employed but are open to improving their situation by moving to a new position with a new company – you are competing with hundreds, if not thousands, of other organizations in an effort to attract the best recruits on the market.

The starting salary plays a large role in how attractive your job opening is, but it is far from the only factor. In many instances – because similar companies will offer a similar starting salary – it may not even be the most decisive.

We have taken a look at hiring trends over the last few years as well as surveys of job seekers to try and get a better sense of what top recruits are looking for in a job. And in this article, we will cover some of the main factors that ultimately inform their decisions. 

Promising the Future

Top recruits, by definition, are skilled and ambitious. They do not expect that in a few short years that they will be at the same level in their career as they are now. Therefore, when they are looking to change companies it is with a more long-term vision than merely how the change will affect their current situation – since, regardless of what job they take, they don’t feel their current situation will last a long time. A job search strategy for landing the dream job is more about the future it promises than the immediate rewards.

It is important when trying to appeal to top recruits to clearly express the individual and professional growth the candidate could achieve by joining your organization. This can be achieved by a combination of many different tactics.

• Highlighting the amount and quality of the continuous training you provide
• Including testimonials of employees who have progressed in their career within your organization
• Pointing out the growth the company has experienced and how that has translated to improvements for the employees – perks, updated equipment, integration of new technologies

Appealing to Autonomy

Link to the royalty-free image by Icon8 Team here

One of the most common reasons workers cite for wanting to change jobs is the lack of autonomy they feel they have in carrying out their work. This factor has seen a significant increase compared to similar surveys conducted 10 or even 5 years ago. Many recruitment trends are being influenced by the rise in entrepreneurship and the start-up boom of the 2010s, so it should not come as a surprise that today’s top recruits are seeking some of the advantages that these trends introduced in the job market.

In the job description, or during the interview process, a good way to communicate the level of autonomy that you can offer is by including descriptive phrases such as:

• The position requires someone who can take initiative
• The candidate should be willing to offer feedback as to the best ways to achieve the defined objectives
• Outright state that you highly value and encourage your employees’ autonomy. Make it part of your company’s stated core values.
• Be willing to allow the work, at least partially, to be done remotely.

Appealing to Ownership

Top recruits, by definition, have a strong work ethic, and they are proud of the work they do. Top recruits will want to carry out their role in a way that allows them to express their unique skills, talents, and personality.

On this point, the successful recruitment strategies of today are in sharp contrast to recruitment strategies of a generation or 2 ago. In the past, companies would promise “an integration into the company’s unique methodology”. Or they would try to appeal to candidates by offering the prospect of “becoming a proud part of our storied tradition”.

While these appeals are not perceived as negative, per se, they do not fully appreciate the shift of today’s workers. Today’s top recruits are far more interested in having their unique talents and their individual personalities rewarded and encouraged. The “company’s unique methodology” or “storied tradition” could be selling points only in so much as they might help to promote the betterment of the applicant’s skill set and allow him or her to better express their individuality.

Another way to demonstrate a dedication to the employees’ ownership of their work is by eliminating outward signs of hierarchy:

• Open spaces and remote work as opposed to traditional offices
• The lack of a dress code
• Greater diversity among the workforce
• The visibility of individual employees on the company’s website or social media, as opposed to conventional brand images and logos

In Conclusion

There are subtle and stark differences between today’s top recruits and those of merely 10 years ago. It is the successful companies that will adapt to these changes and will be able to attract the best recruits on the job market. Diversity and Inclusion matter in the workplace. You will need to offer more than just a competitive starting salary if you want to attract the top recruits. Show the job seekers that you value your employees’ autonomy, that you encourage them to take ownership of their work by them expressing their unique personalities, and emphasize the career growth that your company can offer.