How to attract and retain exceptional talent
- Published on 11 Dec 2012
- Vinton Ntuli
Across the world, the war for talent has been raging for many years – and South Africa is no exception. Today’s highly-competitive business environment has led to people becoming a key differentiator for most companies and brands.
Businesses need to have the right people as top talent that make a difference to the bottom line, which means that attracting and retaining top talent has become a strategic imperative.
So, you’ve attracted the right candidate and your offer of employment has been accepted. Think the
job’s done? Think again.
Attracting the right talent is only half the battle won and retaining your top talent is an ongoing battle
How you act following the offer of employment can make the difference between securing top talent and settling for number two. In faced-paced, highly-competitive times, one vital element is often ignored – the people element.
Top talent is rare and while companies compete for business, top talent competes for top jobs. The days of long ‘gold watch careers’ are gone. Talented employees are not only demanding the top jobs but the top employers too.
Know which talent you’re targeting – this could be your competitive edge
It is crucial for HR to know their ‘target talent market’ and the employers they are competing with.
Knowing who is a possible threat to your target talent pool offers unique opportunities to attract the best of the best. Understanding what employment differentiators your competitors offer can provide you with a competitive edge that could greatly contribute to the success of your talent attraction strategy.
Finding top talent is a challenge for companies and identifying top talent in a market saturated with job-hungry candidates has become sophisticated and time-consuming. Sifting through hundreds of applications can be frustrating and missing out on that ‘one’ great candidate can easily happen.
Increasingly, large and small businesses are relying on their staffing partners to ensure they identify and attract the right talent. Finding top talent will also be the focus of your competitors: A signed letter of employment does not necessarily mean the candidate is on board.
So don’t sit back and wait for the new recruit to start – they could slip through your fingers
Rather use this period before they start to court the new recruit. This not only confirms that they have made the right choice to work for your company but also builds the vital employer-employee relationship and shuts out competitor offers.
Companies often regard the offer of employment as the final step in the talent-attraction process. Consider accepting the employment offer as the ‘starting day’ for the new employee. The period between accepting an offer and the actual start date is usually characterised by doubt, compounded by the thought of leaving the familiar and taking on the unknown. You, as the new employer, should step up activities and follow a courting strategy until the start date - and beyond.
6 pointers to follow in your courting strategy
1. Start placing the new recruit on e-mail distribution lists: The more he knows about the company’s current projects and information vital to the job, the less time it will take to become productive. This often also creates a sense of excitement about new challenges that lie ahead.
2. Put together a ‘new starter’ marketing pack that contains exciting marketing materials, company information, company achievements, relevant product and service information and maybe even a corporate video. Providing valuable information will also get the employee up to speed quicker.
3. Invite the new recruit to appropriate company functions. New employees take time to adapt so if they get to know their co-workers before starting, they will feel more comfortable once the actual start day arrives.
4. Invite the employee to company meetings that may be relevant or valuable.
5. Ensure their work station is ready: Nothing wastes more time than kitting out a new employee. Add a personal touch with a company-branded coffee mug with coffee waiting when they arrive.
6. Prepare a welcome pack for the first day: Not only will the new employee feel special, but he will
know from day one that yours is the best company to work for.
