How to recruit top talents

More often than not, the quality and image of a business lie in the potential and skills of people involved in the company’s processes. Therefore it should be people that stay at the center of core decisions and investment plans.

As a manager or a business owner, you’ve probably heard something like the statement above multiple times, yet the inadequate response to employees’ needs became a source of neverending jokes. Having unusual or just funny benefits is just fine, but just because something is available doesn’t mean it’s attractive, especially for top talents.

So, let’s talk recruitment and what things are actually being looked for by your potential dream candidates.

BENEFITS ARE NOT THE NEW SALARY

In 2020 a survey has been conducted and employees were asked what are the perks of their work that increase their loyalty, productivity, and engagement. Although just being recognized as a hard worker was enough to spike productivity and engagement, there was just one factor to improve loyalty and it was competitive compensation. The benefits program didn’t get a high score for either. Respondents were also asked to prioritize 18 benefits and the thing that is commonly understood as “benefits” was put last – there was an interest in health insurance, dental care, or specific cancer insurance, yet nothing about free fruits or work-life balance webinars.

The same trend was observed in 2022 when respondents were highly interested in more paid time off, mental health days, or guaranteed retirement benefits. It was also specifically said, that lack of salary pay rise contributed to their decision to quit. Even before C-19, it was noticed that the #1 reason for quitting was purely financial, but at the same time, a high salary was not enough to accept a job offer.

What is particularly interesting is the fact, that among IT employees who intend to change their job, 75% planned to do so because they considered their salaries low. And that was in 2018 before remote work became all the rage.

FLEX YOUR FLEXIBILITY

Flexibility and remote work is trending for a while now, and it’s considered to be the #1 factor in obtaining a work/life balance. If possible it should be kept on the table as a possibility, as long as our dream candidate doesn’t want to specifically work from the office or use a hybrid model. It has been proven, that job offers that mention flexibility get 35% higher engagement.
That being said, 18% of respondents feel like they have problems with disconnecting at the end of the day when working from home, so it’s something that should be monitored to avoid burnout.

QUALITY OF PROJECTS

That’s something that should be talked about more often. Talented and ambitious people tend to choose projects that inspire them or let them grow in their chosen field of technology. Therefore, offering courses or development opportunities is one thing, but learning on-site is equally important.

In the recruitment process, it’s important to show ongoing projects as challenging and relevant. Bringing managers to interviews might be a good move since they can provide valuable input on the actual job and present the company’s culture simultaneously. The candidate should leave the meeting with a clear vision of how he can grow and contribute to the company at the same time.

Altogether, top talents are top talents because of their skills and ambitions. The company that wants to hire them should bring just as much potential to the table. And the potential shows in the quality of work, general business culture, and what is being offered to employees equally. One piece of advice? If your current employees are happy and motivated, they will determine the type of people who will be interested in working for you in the future.

Author: Cezary Dmowski, CTO, Co-owner at ITSG Global