Great companies are built from talented people working together for a common goal. In a strong economy with VC funded startups providing high levels of compensation and perks, competition for these great people can be fierce. However it is possible using tips below (from recent Silicon Valley panel):
Lead in the Purpose Economy:
Top talent, especially the younger ‘millennial’ generation want to work with and for companies that have a real purpose and positively impacts people, environment and society. This is through their mission, products or go to market approach – all team members share and live for a common purpose.
To recruit top talent, start with defining the real purpose and value of your company – more than making money.
Get to know Ideal Target Employees:
Long before you need to fill a job or role, define and validate the required experience, skills and aptitudes of the ideal person to succeed in the role. Use social media and your network to begin a ‘get to know you’ dialogue with people that fit those characteristics. Through this, gain greater awareness of their needs and interests, adjusting the value proposition accordingly while building a pipeline of candidates.
Communicate with Top Talent on Their Terms:
Confucius’ words, “Fish in the pond that the fish love – not where you like to hang out” applies to the art of talent recruitment. When you are seeking candidates, look at the social media channels, organizations, meetups / hangouts in which your target audience participates. On those networks or channels, post compelling information, news testimonials of current employees’ happiness to build awareness with future candidates.
Communications with candidates should then be using he media they prefer ie text or chat for younger generation workers versus email.
Build a Success Team Culture and Reputation
Recruitment of today’s top talent is the beginning of the journey – leading to a strong team of highly engaged employees which then attract and refer future employees. Top companies of all sizes in Silicon Valley and globally are recognized as providing employees with a purpose they believe in, a supportive, team environment, benefits that show leadership understands employees needed and a management team that demonstrates the company’s values on a daily basis.
