Six steps to attracting and retaining top talent

Want to secure the very best people for your team? Here are six things you need to do right now.

Every employer dreams of having a team of people who are at the very top of their game. Loyal, committed, creative and productive, they will achieve your ambitions with efficiency and aplomb.

But how do you go about recruiting such a team? It’s easy to land one or two stellar employees, but much harder to ensure your whole workforce is of such a high standard.

Nothing is impossible, however, make the right moves, and you can achieve recruitment heaven. Here are six things you can do right now to help build your dream team.

1. Be proactive about business growth

In a time of economic and political uncertainty, it can be tempting to batten down the hatches.  But now is the time to be bold, especially if you want to attract the best talent to your business.

“Prospective employees will be drawn to a company that is dynamic and future-facing,” explains Victoria Griffiths, Business Manager at Just Recruitment Group Ltd. “Make plans and pursue your ambitions and you’ll find that people want to come and work for you. Nothing quells the enthusiasm of a candidate like a business that is stuck in the doldrums, or dragging its heels until better times come around. Your future is in your hands. It’s time to make your own luck.”

2. Go looking for your ideal employees

If you have a clear understanding of the sort of person who will best help you achieve your goals, go and find them. Rather than waiting for vacancies to appear due to staff churn, create roles that align with your strategic objectives. Then write very clear and careful job descriptions that maximise your chances of recruiting the right people.

“There’s always a margin for error in any recruitment process,” says Victoria. “But if you know what you want from candidates, you can express that clearly in job ads and specs, and have a way of testing their abilities during the selection process, you’ll be on a clear path to success.”

3. If you see a good employee, act

“Employees are like neckties,” says Peter Foy, Just Recruitment’s director. “If you see one that you really like, you should buy it, even if you don’t have a shirt to match. This can come later, but you may never see that tie again.”

The point is plain. Sometimes, you’ll come across a person who you just know would be great in your company. If you can find a way to recruit them through a transparent and legally compliant selection process, you’ll be onto a winner.

“Of course, you need to find a job for them to do,” Mr Foy asserts. “But effective recruitment is often about finding people with the right instincts and dispositions for your needs. You can train someone in the particularities of a given role, but there are certain things you simply can’t teach.”

4. Reward success

The jury’s out on the effectiveness of financial incentives for staff performance, but one thing is clear: everyone likes to be appreciated.

So, if you’re looking to attract and retain high-quality staff, you need to show them that hard work and achievement is rewarded. It could be a pay rise or a bonus, or maybe a company car or private health insurance.

“One thing that works very well from a motivational point of view is to offer experiences rather than monetary rewards or tangible gifts,” says Victoria. “Taking your successful team skiing for a week, or giving them the opportunity of a weekend away in a swish hotel, can make all the difference to their perception of you as an employer. It’ll motivate them to go on giving their best, and ensure they give a good account of you to prospective colleagues.”

5. Invest in your people

“Here’s the news,” says Mr Foy. “You probably won’t be able to procure the perfect team off the shelf. So the best way to get your people at the top of their game is to invest in their training and development. That way, you can grow them, build on their talent, and shape them to suit your needs.”

Even better, regular training and support helps staff to feel valued and encouraged, meaning they’re more likely to give their best, and stay with you for the long term.

6. Use a recruiter to help secure top talent

You may be very good at running your business, but your access to potential employees is limited to people you know, and people who apply for the vacancies you advertise.

Use a recruiter, though, and they’ll help you identify as many great candidates as possible. With a huge database of people looking for jobs, a company like Just Recruitment has a whole army of potential employees as its fingertips. Even better, it has already identified each candidate’s gifts, abilities, enthusiasms and passions.

“A company like ours knows how to construct a recruitment process that yields the best possible outcome,” explains Victoria. “We have expertise that adds value to a client, and more than pays for itself by ensuring the right people end up in the right jobs. It’s a bit of cliché, but a company’s people are its greatest asset. So why not invest in finding just the right candidates, using experts to ensure the process is effective, legally compliant and well-structured?”

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