How to attract Top Candidates

When it comes to hiring, taking a blasé approach is simply not going to snag A-list talent for your company.

Today’s in-demand professional is sophisticated, savvy, and searching for a career—one with rich growth opportunities—and not merely a job. In other words, an A-list candidate is not likely to be compelled by a new opportunity that is presented as merely a laundry list of job requirements.

If your business seeks to find and hire the best talent possible, you need to be strategic and planful from the very beginning. This is where having a strategic hiring process comes in.

Understand that developing a strategic hiring process for your company is not about creating something that is lengthy or arduous. Rather, a hiring process helps you cultivate a best practice that is purposeful, thoughtful, well-crafted and, above all, consistently implemented throughout the organization.

Here are just a few methods you can incorporate into your hiring process to help you hire on an altogether different level.

• Retool your job descriptions. A typical (and ineffective) job description highlights the skills and experiences needed to fulfill the job, whereas a great one focuses on the potential career opportunities. Remember, this is about finding the right talent to help your company grow into the future, not about than finding any body to fill an open slot.

• Recruit strong hiring managers. Prospective candidates run for the hills if the person hiring them is vague about the company or the job–or, worse, uninformed. Outstanding hiring managers should articulate any and all growth opportunities available.

• (Do not) trust your gut. Evaluating an interviewee based on emotions or instinct is all too common –- and a hiring mistake. Check your emotions at the door for the first 30 minutes of the interview.

• Aim well. Move fast. A-list job candidates won’t be available for long. Hiring managers should move quickly, organizing a streamlined hiring process that eliminates toilsome application procedures.

Marni Hockenberg, principal of Hockenberg Search, serves as a trusted hiring advisor to small and mid-sized companies. To inquire about upcoming hiring seminars or to tap into Marni’s expertise to re-evaluate your hiring process, click here to connect.