How To Attract Top Talent

In today's competitive job market, attracting top talent goes beyond dangling an enticing salary figure. Potential employees want more—they seek an environment where they can thrive professionally and personally. Attracting candidates to your company and crafting an offer that makes candidates leap at the chance to join your team requires laying a robust groundwork that resonates with their aspirations. Here’s how you can make accepting your offer a no-brainer for top talent:

Start by researching your own company. Explore platforms like Glassdoor, Blind, and other review sites where candidates often seek insights. Look for patterns in reviews—both positive and negative. Use these to anticipate concerns and be ready to address them during the hiring process.

Create a list of recurring issues and take proactive steps to resolve them. Being aware of public sentiments surrounding your company is the first step in building a reputation that attracts top talent.

This is such an incredible tool that often either never gets started, or dissipates once the company starts growing quickly. Implement listening tours for all business units as quickly as possible. It’s the best way to get ahead of the negative feedback discussed above.

Listening tours can be monthly or quarterly check-ins with each employee, done live, or via anonymous survey. Establishing trust early on is crucial here, as you want your employees to be honest. Take the feedback seriously. Determine what challenges your employees face and how to take action.

So often I hear from candidates “Wow, you really know a lot about this role,” or “Thank you SO much, I’ve never worked with a recruiter who knew so much about the company”.

Put your recruiters through the same training that you put the rest of your employees. Often, Recruiters bypass training all together because they’re not in a sales or technical role - the opposite should be done. They need the most training because they’re talking to candidates across all different business units. You may have a recruiter supporting sales, and then need them to transition over to Solutions Engineering or Development...give them the resources and skills they need to be successful in compelling candidates to join your company.

Recruiters are the first impression. Arm them with the information they need.

And if they’re not asking for more training and information about your company, product and/or service, you may have the wrong recruiter on your team.

We’re living world with over 333 Million companies. Candidates have options, and it’s crucial to sell them on your company. Share why you joined, your leadership style, company culture, and how it adds value to employees’ lives. Authentic storytelling can be a compelling factor in attracting the right talent.

Research your competitor’s comp plans, benefits and perks philosophies, stock option plans the same way you research your competing products and services. We’re no longer allowed to ask candidates what they’re earning, and often we find ourselves in a position of trying to figure out what they’re looking for.

“What salary range are you seeking in your next role”?

“$300K” - What does that mean? RSU’s + Salary + Bonuses? Just base salary?

If you know your market and what your competitors are offering, it gives you the ability to A) negotiate more effectively and B) explain your comp plan more thoroughly.

Publicly exhibit your company’s culture and values on your website and social media platforms. Encourage employees to share their experiences (after proper training on posting etiquette) and highlight the company’s stance on social causes or movements.

Does your company support volunteer work, certain movements, etc? Discuss this publicly. Some candidates will be drawn to you purely because of what you stand for, and others may be turned off (and that’s okay). Be upfront and honest to attract the right people and avoid hiring employees that are not the right fit for your business.

We can’t please everyone, but we can sure try with the innovative healthtech and fintech companies out there, geared towards benefits and perks. If your company can’t afford to or doesn’t want to offer 100% paid for benefits, think about alternatives like Thatch, for instance. Their solution enables companies to offer employees financial support that they can put towards benefits, plans they want, and providers in their network (I have no affiliation with this company, and only mention them because we’re researching this very topic at our company right now).

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Attracting top talent involves creating an appealing narrative about your company—one that aligns with their professional aspirations and personal values. By fostering transparency, addressing concerns, and showcasing your company’s uniqueness, you can make accepting your offer a natural choice for the best candidates in the field.

How to work with me:

Recruiting: contract or per-placement hiring. Reach me here.

Writing: Freelance writing for blogs and publications. Reach me  here.
Recruiting and Interviewing guides are available here. 

Are you seeking a new role? Binge my courses or work with me 1:1 to help you land your next role here.