Do you ever wonder why you always hear about particular companies scoring the most talented employees in their industry and wonder why your company isn’t doing as well? There are a few key qualities companies who gain the best employees have…
They Are Well-Known in Their Industry
Chances are, the companies with the best employees are also the most well known in their industry – they are the kinds of companies that people are just dying to get into. We’re talking people will go out of their way to get these companies attention, like the Google Hire Me guy who created a campaign to stand out of the crowd of what is no doubt tons of people applying for jobs at Google.
Not many would do this for the run of the mill, average company who most have never heard about. Hence, if you want to get awesome employees who are willing to go the whole nine yards, you better make yourself prominent in your industry. You don’t have to be Google-famous, but you have to at least make yourself well known by establishing yourself as an authority in your industry. The best ways to do that include:
- Running an informative blog that attracts an audience in your industry.
- Building a large and engaged following on the top social networks including Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn.
- Taking the opportunity to get in the media as much as possible. If you’re not sure how, start with HARO which will allow you to monitor questions you can answer for news networks like New York Times, Huffington Post, and more.
They Demonstrate a Great Employee Culture
Whenever a potential employee comes to your website, Facebook page, or other online presence, you will want to make them think “Wow, I wish I worked for a company that looked as fun as that.” Take SEOmoz, one of the leading authorities in search engine optimization. If you take a look at their Facebook page and their photos, you won’t just see stuff about their latest product. You’ll see how awesome their office environment is.
For potential customer base, this shows that the company is quality and has employees who are proud to work with their clients and their products. For potential employees, this shows that the employees are not only valued but are treated to more than just a 9 to 5 employment opportunity. They will see the potential to become part of a happy family who also likes to have loads of fun. Check out our worksheet on developing a great company culture.
They Offer the Best Compensation & Benefits
If you can’t quite pull off industry recognition and make your office look like the place to be, then the next best thing you can do is become known for the fact that you offer great salaries and beyond the average benefits for your employees. If you look through CNN’s list of 100 Best Companies to Work For and click on various names on the list, you’ll find they offer things like free child care, health care centers, unlimited sick time, large bonuses that match the company’s profits, sabbaticals, free products, and much more.
If you offer something amazing to your employees besides just health insurance and a 401K, the word will get out and people will be begging to work for you! Download our free guide on determining employee compensation.
They Approach Their Most Wanted Talent
You don’t have to sit around and wait for great talent – you can always approach them yourself. While you’re not guaranteed a yes, you can always plant the seed that you’re interested in someone for when they decide they want to change employment.
As a freelance writer who writes often about online marketing, I have received a few job offers out of the blue and, if I were to look for full time employment, they would be the companies I would contact first.
They Give Their Employees Referral Bonus
If you don’t just want to wait around for talent to find you or don’t have time to seek it out yourself as the business owner or hiring manager, then get your employees to help you search.
By simply offering a referral bonus to the employee that brings in the right candidate, you’ll encourage your current employees to find the perfect fit for your company.
What strategies does your business use to attract the best talent?