No doubt, it is a hot employment market for top talent. Salaries are increasing, traffic is worsening, top talent often has more than one choice, and is likely considering 2-3 offers at once. It is a robust climate for business. Candidates are more educated than ever, they often have unprecedented access to information about you, your technology, the market for your technology, who you personally have worked with, and who works with you now.
Like you, candidates are doing their homework and are studying your team/ board of directors/ investors. These “A-Listers” will also possess a strong network and will ask for input on their top choices. There are many factors in a top candidate’s decision regarding a new role. How can you influence YOUR top candidate to choose you and your company as the obvious best choice for them?
Here are 5 Factors that have the most impact:
- Your reputation as a leader
- Great people attract and are attracted to other great people. Not just in performance and results, but also in how they engage each other, lead, develop people, and treat others. Your potential total impact and your integrity matter to them. What do people say about you?
- Your Team
- Not just the level of talent and capabilities. You want your team to welcome all new potential team members. This can be difficult for science or technology driven organizations. Your team must possess high Emotional Intelligence – and must display this capability in the interview process. The candidate needs to feel comfortable with the entire team, even if that candidate is not your first choice.
- Your Business Model
- Can you articulate what you hope to accomplish with your company and the impact this hire will make? Is it compelling and enticing enough that the candidate can understand your vision for the future, and see themselves a a contributor to your success? Being a part of a strong team and taking you over the finish line? Strong candidates wants to know that they are a part of a bigger plan, and want to be able to view themselves as an integral part of your success.
- Your brand
- Your image says everything – it gives people a feel for what it is to work with you, and a feel for how you approach people. Your website, marketing materials, slide decks, videos, etc. It may not seem all that important, but the first place people go to check you out, besides LinkedIn, is your website. It is very difficult to recover from a bad first impression. You don’t even need a lot of information, but you do need enough to describe what you are doing and why, and you need a good look and feel. It is all part of your brand, and it is what enables you to attract people who will naturally resonate with you.
