As businesses put 2020 behind us and look forward to a new year, we reflect on the lessons learned.

Employees can work from home and be productive, you can on board new team members remotely, mental health and employee welfare became front of mind, communication was key to check in on employees and drive engagement, we figured out the benefits of MS Teams and Zoom and we trusted our teams. We evolved quicker than expected and used innovation to move our businesses forward, much quicker than any of us had planned.

We now have a plan for 2021, for some it may be growth yet for others it may simply be to recover from the pandemic. No matter what the goal is the reality is you can only deliver if you have the right people doing the right things in your business.

So, how do you attract the best talent to your business.

1.     Employer Branding

Prove to the most talented workers why your business is the one they want to join. Tell your story, showcase your history and demonstrate your values as a business. Show potential job seekers what makes your company different from the rest. Employer brand and reputation is everything. Create a strong brand in your local area and candidates will aspire to work for you.

2.     Perks & Benefits

The strongest candidates understand that their skills are in high demand. You can’t expect to attract a vast majority of applicants with the highest talent potential if you are unwilling to offer competitive compensation and benefits packages. However, salary and bonuses are not everything. Candidates want to know an organisation looks after its employees so consider benefit schemes that include medical insurance, gym memberships, flexible working and additional holidays.

3.     Company Culture

The stronger and more enjoyable a company culture you are able to build, the more likely your workers will be happy at work — which means your retention statistics will increase. Top talent will be drawn to the fact that your employees stay, especially if your own team are raving about you. It’s important you create a culture around your key values as an organisation so that your team live and breath those values too.

4.     Open Up Your Candidate Pool

This is a big one. In the past, businesses would rarely if ever think about hiring someone who lived on the other side of the country. But technology has evolved to the point where it’s easier than ever to work productively with talented people who live across the country (which has proved successful in most business this year) — or even on the other side of the globe. If you limit your search for candidates to only include individuals located near your office, you’re automatically eliminating the chance that a vast majority of top talent will ever work for your company simply because they don’t live where you are. Open it up and the world is your oyster, literally!

5.     Personal Development

Make your company stand out from your competitors by making professional development a top priority. Invite knowledgeable speakers into your office from time to time to lead seminars. Invest heavily in training and coaching activities. When there’s a relevant trade show, conference, or symposium nearby, encourage your employees to attend. Top talent want to develop their skills. Offer lots of professional development opportunities and they’ll apply (& stay).

6.     Online Presence

The most desirable job applicants are always interested in developing new skills and learning. To this end, they regularly peruse relevant sites to learn about their industry and their profession. To attract the interest of these candidates, maintain a robust presence on a number of relevant social media sites. Update your company’s blog regularly. Showcase your team and success stories and it will get noticed by others in your industry. The more information you publish about your company, the culture and why someone would want to work for you then the more likely job seekers will be to find it.

The reality is in many industries there is still a skills shortage so in order to attract the best talent to your business you need a robust strategy in place that will do just that. Surround yourself with great people and before you know it you have the freedom you always wanted.

If you would like to discuss your recruitment strategy for 2021 please get in touch with us today on 0333 888 4048.