Recently, one of our recruiters was on the phone with a seasoned candidate, discussing a lucrative high paying opportunity in Southern California.  The conversation was going great—until the discussion came around to the name of the client.  Once he found out the name of the company, the candidate said, “Oh!  It’s with XYZ company!  I wouldn’t work there if you paid me $400/hr!  I have heard nothing but terrible things about that place!”

We could have paid the candidate more than what he is making currently, offered him better benefits, etc., but he wouldn’t hear it.  The company’s reputation in the talent community ended the conversation before the recruiting could ever really start.

Word travels fast today with social media and online review sites at the forefront. Sites such as Glassdoor readily list thoughts, gripes and comments from employees for anyone to see.  In 2016, a company is more challenged than ever to create an internal and external image that will attract and not repel talent.

There is hope!  While maintaining your company’s image on social media and the internet can be a challenge, it also opens an opportunity for a company to create and foster a brand that attracts talent.  Here are some best practices and ideas to create an environment where you can not only compete for top talent—top talent will be competing to come work for you!

• Create a company mission that people can align with and get behind, and work on an online brand and social media presence that candidates can find and align with. Employees like to be a part of something great. Create a brand out of that mission and watch the talent come to you.

• Align your recruitment process with the company’s mission and drive candidate engagement. With so much competition in the job market, companies need to drive candidate engagement and keep them “hooked” early on in the process; otherwise, you will lose their attention to another opportunity.

• Create a culture that promotes creativity, inclusion and balance. Micromanagement and forcing people to work 60 hours a week is not what employees today are going to align with—and they’ll note that when speaking with others outside of the company.  They are looking for flexibility.   Give them flexibility and balance and you may find that they work 60 hours a week without you even asking!
• Today’s workforce wants challenge and knowing that once they achieve the current hurdle, the next challenge will be waiting. Furthermore, they want to know there will be opportunity to advance within the company in a short amount of time.   And remember, advancement doesn’t need to be a promotion; often, candidates are looking for lateral moves that will broaden their experience and exposure within the company.

• And finally, turn your employees into your brand ambassadors and they will help drive the talent community to you through their own personal and social networks. In today’s labor market, a company must use every resource at its disposal to attract talent and no one is more convincing at telling “why come work at XYZ company” than the happy talented people you already have working for you!