The quality of a business doesn’t rely only on financial success, sales, and similar accolades. These all are things that come and go, depending on the business climate. What defines success is the employees.
An inability to recruit the right employees is the biggest problem of 19% of small businesses, according to a survey by Dunkelberg and Wade.
Attracting the right talent can be the trigger for a long period of success. By hiring the perfect employees, you will have brand ambassadors that will be engaged when working with the customer. Offering them the right conditions will convince them to commit and stay.
But how exactly can you accomplish this? In this article, we will tackle the problem of hiring the perfect employee, using a set of tips and steps concerning the matter.
What makes a perfect employee?
To be able to attract the right employees, you can use strategies like the one Google’s team uses. However, everything you do will be in vain if you don’t know the goal you’re after. What makes a perfect employee? How can we define the ideal associate that will help your business grow?
Let’s take a look at some of the most important characteristics a person for your company has to have.
A strong work ethic
According to a survey by CareerBuilder, 73% of business owners and HR manager stated that the most important characteristic of an employee is their ability to work hard.
Lots of employers reject young and ambitious people because they have no experience. This is a big mistake that can set a company back in so many ways. Think about the future and disregard experience as the most important factor.
Their goals
Does an employee want to create something with you or are they only interested in the money they will make? During an interview, see if the person emphasises on the future or not. Candidates who value creation and visions are usually the most motivated and reliable individuals.
Self-motivation and drive
Oftentimes, your business will be in a chaotic state. Therefore, you need individuals who can complete their tasks independently, without a pronounced need for external motivational factors.
Ability to work in a team
No matter how skilled a candidate is, they’re not the right fit for your company if they can’t work within a group. Think about the other talented individuals they work for you. Observe how they function to look for a right fit.
Knowing how to attract the perfect employee is easy when you know your goals. Now that they’ve defined and highlighted them, it’s time to focus on the actual plan of action. Implement the following tips into your recruitment strategy, and you will have no problem attracting top talent in your niche.
Be clear about everything
Recruitment is not a one-way street. Even though you are the one searching for the right employee, the candidate is also looking for the right company for him.
Therefore, you need to be precise, clear and direct. This is especially important when talking about the conditions. An area you should focus on the most is defining positions in the company.
Lots of perspective businesses lose out on top talent simply because they don’t offer clear positions. Nobody wants to go and work in a chaotic environment with no defined roles.
Before you start searching for the perfect employee, define your positions and post them in the form of a bullet list. To make the experience more interesting and clearer, add video to your job postings.
Image: Stock Snap
Emphasise on career opportunity
When communicating with candidates, you need to stop focusing on salaries and financial gain. The work market is more competitive than ever, and people can find well-paid jobs. What attracts the perfect employees are career opportunities.
To be able to enhance your team with the best talent, tell your future employees what they have to gain. It can be something along the lines of:
How can their skills improve while working for you?
A perfect employee is ambitious and wants more than a bigger salary. They want to become a better expert, and it’s your job to provide them with such an opportunity.
What about in-company training opportunities?
Attracting the right employees is all about giving opportunities. If they don’t know something about a particular task, don’t scorn them. Instead, promise them in-company training, advising and professional practice. Employees value when their management and HR invest effort in making them better.
Why should they stay with your company for a long time?
Nobody wants to switch jobs once a year. Paint the picture of a vision and remind candidates that they can be a part of it.
Show candidates that you care about them
During an interview, it’s important to show that you care more about advancement in your niche. Instead of focusing solely on conditions, rules and limitations, show a little compassion.
Let candidates know that they won’t be just hired guns. Paint the picture of your business in a family-like manner. In the very beginning, it’s important to show that you care. Offer your employees these benefits:
Be open to flexible working hours. Communicate with the candidate about their daily schedule and how would they like to work. If your preferences aren’t the same, find the middle ground. You’d be surprised at how rare this is in today’s work market.
Let them know that you want them to work better, not more. The perfect employee will perform even better if you allow them to work less, but in a more focused manner.
Around the clock communication. Attracting the perfect employee can be accomplished through healthy communication. Don’t depict your management as clear superiors. Instead, position yourself as people with whom the candidate can communicate. Care about their needs and wishes.
Focus on your current employees as well
A thing that often gets overlooked is your current employees. Instead of investing in expensive marketing campaigns and gimmicks, make use of the most important promotional tool for every company.
No ad can beat the words of a satisfied and accomplished brand ambassador. To be able to attract the perfect employee, you need to treat your employees the right way.
Commit time and effort to them. In return, they will promote your company in the same niche, stepping in contact with potentially ideal candidates. There is also an additional benefit in the fact that these candidates will be recommended because your employees are acquainted with them.
Use testimonial videos for recruitment, too
We’ve already mentioned the significance of brand ambassadorship for attracting the perfect employee. There are many ways you can use satisfied employees to attract new candidates.
One of the most effective methods is the use of testimonial videos. Companies like Starbucks use testimonial videos to present their business in the right way. What sets apart these videos from other recruitment strategies?
Testimonial videos are informal and direct. People won’t feel a need to lie or exaggerate. Instead, they will tell their story. Candidates will get to know your business better through the words of people who are already involved. They can include both high-ranking members of management, all the way down to clerks and associates.
They give your company another way of showcasing its uniqueness. A perfect employee wants to be a part of a vision that’s different from the rest of the niche. Using videos of your current employees, you can showcase the whole experience and vision in a one-minute video.
For attracting new candidates, an inside look is important. Companies like HubSpot have taken testimonial videos to another level, giving a total presentation of how the company works. For online businesses, it’s a good idea to focus on communication between workers and the process of projects being completed.
Remind them that they won’t be alone
Even the most experienced and skilled employees are going to feel nervous when starting a new job. Let them know you’re there for them and that they can talk to you whenever they want. During the first few days, check on them and ask them how they’re feeling.
It’s important to attract the perfect employee, but showing that you care will also help you keep them for good. Let them be a part of your work family and remind them that they can count on the rest of the team.
In Summary
Using these tips, you will know how to recognise and attract the perfect employee.
Showing them that you care and presenting your company the right way will lead to fruitful long-term business relationships. Don’t hesitate to be creative and unique – it can only benefit your recruitment efforts.
About the Author
Jennifer Sanders is a professional editor and copywriter, and a journalist from London. She has worked for 3 years for companies like ResumesPlanet and UK Careers Booster.
Her work with CareersBooster is also significant. Her main interest is covering topics on professional guidance, productivity, education, and technologies.
