If you want to find the best, you also need to keep them at their best. Businesses can usually do one of the three but if you're trying to score a hat trick and attract, develop and retain talent, you need a solid strategy. Don't find yourself on the sidelines, watching your competition score those star players. Learn how to find and keep the talent your business deserves.
Always Be Recruiting
If you aren't currently and actively recruiting, you won't be able to attract, develop and retain talent. Talented employees are sought-after and they don't sit around waiting for the next best offer – they find it. By the time you're ready to put up a job offer, they've already been contacted by your competitors.
One of the best ways to hire top talent is to focus your efforts into proactively engaging with them. Get on LinkedIn and other social media sites to see who is leading the field in education and success, then reach out. Keep an open dialog with a variety of candidates. Even if they're happy at their company today, those relationships and connections can pay off big in the future. They may have a talented colleague looking for a new challenge or may decide it's time to move on down the road. Businesses that attract top talent aren't getting those applications through chance. They always recruit.
Reveal Untapped Talent
Hopefully, you had a reason for hiring your employees. Maybe they showed promise. Maybe they had education or experience. You didn't hire the first person who walked in the door. Despite your and their enthusiasm, it's not uncommon for employees to show promise in interviews and fizzle out after a few years on the job.
When trying to implement a system to attract, develop and retain talent, you need to take a second look at your untapped in-house talent. Every employee wants job satisfaction. They want to go home thinking they've made a difference and it's up to their employer to find a way to make that happen. Revitalize your employees' initial enthusiasm for the job by getting managers to speak to employees about what motivates them and what they love about their job. Work together with employees to turn their passion into business success.
Focus on Engagement
Often the trick to attract, develop and retain talent is that last part: retention. Most businesses can pour their efforts into finding the next great salesperson or department head but few can keep that employee happy and engaged for long. Employee engagement isn't just a buzz word or a time-consuming quality assessment goal, it's a requirement for businesses that want to be the best. Engaged employees produce high-quality results and help recruiting efforts by word-of-mouth referrals.
Always remember that talented employees always have options. They make a daily decision to go to work or find a new job. Employees who are satisfied with their work environment stay. Those who are poorly treated or marginalized go. Employee engagement has to be a top goal to attract, develop and retain talent.
Choosing to go after the most talented employees in your field isn't a simple goal. It requires company commitment, ongoing man-hours and potential short-term losses for long-term gains. For companies dedicated to the goal, it also snowballs into success. For those who don't even try, it means hiring average employees and constantly cutting corners to achieve big wins. If you're ready to be a top employer in your industry, start with this strategy to attract, develop and retain talent.
