How to Win the Talent War

In today’s labor market, the competition for skilled professionals is fierce. Low unemployment has left many businesses scrambling, particularly when they need candidates who are highly in demand.

Luckily, there are things you can do to make your company a more enticing employer to job seekers. Here are the five habits every hiring manager needs to develop if they want to win the talent war.

  1. Be Prepared to Sell Your Company

The best and brightest talent available will always have multiple opportunities they can pursue. This means, if you aren’t prepared to sell your company as an ideal workplace, you are going to miss out on top talent.

When you are in the midst of the recruitment process, you can’t just focus on what the candidates have to offer. Instead, you need to showcase what you can give them, highlighting the benefits of working for your company.

Additionally, your negotiation skills need to be on point. Assume that they are going to counter every job offer, and have a response at the ready for when the inevitable happens.

  1. Have a Professional Development Plan

Most professionals have aspirations beyond their next role. By providing true career growth opportunities, you can make your business a more enticing employer.

Include details about professional development plans, mentorship programs, and training paths in your vacancy announcements. Additionally, be ready to discuss these opportunities at length with top candidates during the interview process.

  1. Conduct Performance-Based Interviews

When you are interviewing candidates, you need to spend some time learning about their prior experience and accomplishments in critical areas. Identify your key performance objectives (KPOs) in advance, and craft questions that allow you to determine how the job seeker’s past performance aligns with those goals.

The idea is to anticipate their potential for success at your company by learning how they performed in the past. While this approach doesn’t guarantee they’ll have similar accomplishments in this position, it can skew the odds in your favor.

  1. Focus on Potential, Not Just Skills

While ensuring a candidate has the base skills and experiences to perform the duties associated with the job is a smart approach, you shouldn’t focus solely on their technical prowess. Instead, assess their ability and willingness to learn quickly, as well as whether they could function as a leader, either today or in the future.

Soft skills are somewhat innate and incredibly hard to teach. In contrast, hard skills can be passed down to someone with the ability to learn on the job or who has a willingness to take part in training. That means potential can sometimes be more valuable than an incredibly strong skill set, especially if the position may grow or morph in the near future.

  1. Develop a Real Rapport

When candidates are considering multiple offers, they may be more inclined to choose an opportunity when they feel they have a connection with the hiring manager. This means that, by turning strangers into acquaintances before you extend an offer, there may be a higher chance they will accept.

Ultimately, you need to develop a real rapport with them as a person, and not just as someone who may fill a role. Not only can this make the connection stronger, but it also reflects positively on your company’s culture, and that can make a significant difference when you want to land top candidates.

By following the tips above, you can make it easier to secure the professionals you need for your business to thrive, allowing you to make significant strides in the war for top talent. If you are interested in learning more, the professionals at The Squires Group can help. Contact us to learn more about our services today and see how our expertise can benefit you.


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