Want to recruit the top talent to your organization?

When you’re looking to fill a technical position, like a software engineer, a full stack developer, or an IT manager, you don’t want to settle for just any candidate. You want the best of the best, but how do you prove that you’re the right organization for them?

Attracting the top talent isn’t easy, and that’s especially true for tech positions, which are notoriously difficult to fill. Today, we hope to give you a little know-how into what you can do to attract the top talent to your organization.

How to Attract the Top Talent:

#1. Figure out what you’re looking for in a candidate.

Before you can go about attracting the top talent to your organization, you first have to have some kind of understanding of what the top talent looks like for you. Every organization has its own values and needs, which means that a candidate that may be perfect for another organization, may not be the right fit for you.

Take some time to really think about what you’re looking for in a candidate, and make sure that you get other people involved in the process as well. Make sure that you include the expectations of the hiring manager, the person who will be overseeing the candidate in their new role, and the candidate’s soon-to-be team.

Think outside of the box when it comes to what you’re looking for in a candidate. Don’t get too caught up in the weeds when it comes to experience, either. While experience is important, it’s nowhere near as important as a candidate’s potential.

#2. Build a great employer brand for your business.

Just as you build a brand image for your customers, you also want to build a brand image for your employees. When it comes to recruiting the top talent, you need to take more of a sales approach. And one of the best ways to sell yourself to the top candidates is to establish a clear employer brand.

If you don’t already have an employer brand — or your employer brand isn’t what you want it to be — now is the perfect time to start building one. To do so, you’ll want to highlight what makes working at your organization so great, while also privately working with employees to resolve anything that might hurt your employer brand.

Your employer brand can’t just be wishful thinking or something you’ve made up to look good. A top-tier candidate will spot a phony employer brand from a mile away, which is why yours needs to be reflective of reality. If that reality isn’t what you’d like it to be, figure out what you need to do to turn it around before you start trying to attract the top talent to your organization.

#3. Ask for testimonials and reviews from your existing employees.

Just as the social proof that comes from reviews makes it far easier to build trust in your services or products, that same kind of social proof can help in attracting the top talent to your organization. Reviews aren’t limited to your products and services, and they can actually go a long way in your recruiting efforts.

The top talent in your industry are at the top for a reason, and everyone wants them. That means that you need to be able to prove why your organization is the best fit. But, when every organization says they’re the best, it can be hard to distinguish yourself from the pack. That’s where employee reviews come in handy.

When one of your employees says that you’re the best, it’s so much more powerful than when you say it. But, unfortunately, not many employees think about writing reviews on their own. The good news, however, is that most will be more than happy to give a review if you ask.

#4. Offer more flexibility.

The traditional, nine-to-five jobs aren’t nearly as in-vogue as they used to be. These days, people want more flexibility and are looking for a career that offers a better work-life balance.

Luckily, these kinds of benefits are incredibly easy for most organizations to provide, because they don’t have to cost a lot of money or take a lot of resources. In fact, giving your employees more flexibility — whether that means allowing them to work remotely or more leeway on their daily work hours — can lead to greater employee satisfaction and increased productivity.

Attracting the top talent to your organization isn’t always about offering the biggest paycheck. People have full lives to live outside of work, and sometimes, simply making it easier for them to live those lives is all it takes to attract the top talent.

#5. Put your employees first.

Do you want to be the type of organization that the best people are queuing up to work for? The number one most powerful thing you can do is to start putting your people first. When you can show your employees that you truly care about them and their needs, it inspires them to work harder, to be more loyal, and to spread the word.

Putting your people first goes beyond offering great benefits or a competitive salary. It’s about seeing your people for what they are — your number one asset. Putting your people first means creating an environment where everyone feels respected and valued. It’s about making the decisions that are best for your employees, even if they’re difficult or costly.

When you put people first, it pays off. When your employees feel valued, your customers will feel valued, and they’ll keep coming back.

If you’re looking to hire the top technical talent for your organization, don’t try to go through the process alone. It can be time-consuming and expensive, and if you get it wrong, you’ll have to start all over again. Instead, work with the talented team at Riderflex.

As Colorado’s go-to technical recruiter, we specialize in filling your most-difficult-to-fill positions, and since our success depends on your success, we’re deeply committed to helping you get it right.

Learn more about our technical recruiting services today!