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How to Attract (And Retain) Top Talent

Perhaps one of the most frustrating aspects of running a business is dealing with employees. I say that in the nicest possible way. I’ve run my own company, Blazing Agency since 1994.

Let’s get specific, hiring the right employees who will integrate with your company effectively is a challenging component of running a company.
There are thousands of resumes “in play” at any given time, all representative of a wide variety of skills and personality types. As a business owner, you may be wondering, “Instead of shuffling through stacks of resumes that aren’t relevant, how can I attract the type of talent I need and want?”
Create a Positive Culture
The climate of your business is important and is put under a microscope during the hiring process. When your corporate culture is healthy and thriving, it shows in both employee satisfaction and productivity.
If your employees are fully engaged, prospective talent will notice and be drawn to it. If you want to attract employees who are creative and passionate about their job, you need to offer them a creative, energetic place to work.
Top producers have an expectation of receiving great benefits, in addition to a healthy work environment. These benefits can include extrinsic rewards such as a flexible scheduling, telecommuting, on-site fitness centers and more.
They can also include intrinsic rewards such as feeling valued, being appreciated for their whole selves and being able to voice their opinions and ideas.
Change Your Mindset
Many employers approach hiring as if it were a buying process. They are “shopping” the candidates to find the right one.
To attract A-level candidates, however, the company must engage in a sales process. In essence, you need to “sell” your company to the right candidate, by showcasing the qualities that your company offers. The mission of the company, its values, the goals, and long-term opportunities are all important facets of the company that prospective employees want to know.
Using the hiring process to sell your company allows you to attract employees who are looking for exactly what you offer. This is a great way to ensure that you attract individuals who will meet the needs of your company.
As your company becomes known for its top-level culture, the hiring process changes again. It will become a process where you can seek out top talent, and successful talent seeks you out as well.
Convert Your Employees into Talent Magnets
A-level talent is drawn to a company because of the people that are already there. “A-players” want to be around other A-players. A network of highly successful employees will attract other successful candidates.
Customers, vendors, and other people who come into contact with your company will begin to look at your company as a place they’d love to work. In addition, an engaging, successful corporate culture will turn your employees into your best employment ad.
When employees are raving fans of your company, they become recruitment specialists and begin attracting some of the best talent available.
Create an Onboarding Process for Success
Helping new employees become integrated into the cultureand processes of your company is essential. For top-level producers, it is crucial to provide a clear vision of their position. and what the next few milestones will look like for them.
By providing a direct path for success, you are showing them what a win looks like, and then giving them the tools to achieve it.
Become the type of company that draws top talent to you.
Michele Bailey is president and CEO of Blazing Agency and My Big Idea™. These two lines of business work congruently to support her clients’ success.

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