Every few years or so, it happens. Someone declares a “War for Talent”, battle lines are drawn, and then candidate poaching begins. While some of this is a little sensationalist, it’s also very true. Any company who wants to attract the best & brightest, and also the best personality & culture fit, must set themselves apart. Since there are many companies all vying for the same types of candidates, the landscape can get cluttered.
So let’s talk about who, what, where, why and how:
Who: If you are a marketer, engineering manager, sales executive, recruiter, ceo, or owner, you need to examine your brand, products, services, culture, and future direction. If they are not as good as the company down the street, then something needs to change.
What: Sure, your company may be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but that doesn’t mean you can rest on those laurels:
Where: There are certain types of candidates that every company needs. Recruiters are going after the same candidates. So if everyone is panning for gold in the same river, then you have to find another river. This means finding out where your types of candidates hang out at. Once you have a new pool of candidates, then you have to craft a message that says something other than “We got jobs, come work for us!”
Why: Not only do companies need to have a good brand, culture, message, marketing, service, product, and outreach, but they need to MAINTAIN it. They need to adapt with the times. If you, as a company are sitting around a table congratulating yourselves and take your foot off the gas pedal, it can be hard to get back that momentum. The last thing you want is to spend all that time and energy getting employees hired only to have them leave you for your competitors.
How: You may work for the largest company in the world, or a 50-person start-up – either way, you need to put these steps into action:
Even companies that do all the right things can sometimes lose the war for talent. But by not doing the things that I’ve shared, you are not helping your chances of success. You may not have an unlimited budget to do everything with the best production, technology, and marketing. And you may not have complete buy-in from your managers and directors. So choose carefully. During the war for talent, you have to learn when to fight your battles.
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