Single red gummy bear candy among many clear ones, representing top talent

4 Essential Methods for Hiring Top Talent

If you want to hire the best-of-the-best in your industry, you have to know the essential methods for doing so. To hire the best employees, you have to think creatively and strategically.

The following are the 4 essential methods for hiring top talent for your business:

1. Tell your applicants and prospective employees what you expect upfront

When you are face to face with your potential employees, don’t beat around the bush. Let them know what you expect from a successful applicant in the short term and long term. Tell them about the level of performance you expect, but also the support and training they’ll receive as an employee. Being frank about your requirements and what your expectations are upfront will ultimately help true ‘A’ players know how to be more successful, faster.

2. Be involved in the entire recruiting process

If you are lucky enough to have a headhunting agency handle the recruitment process, that’s great. But it is important to make sure that a key member of your team is involved in the process as well. Managers that have hired the best people are those who have spent more time with the applicants before, during and after the interviewing phase. Having key decision-makers involved early on in the process will ensure everyone is aligned with hiring priorities and avoid delays down the line.

3. Focus on FIT

Hiring top talent is not just about reading resumes and choosing the ones that have the right experience on paper. You also need to focus on their workstyle and fit with your company culture. Your initial step is to read the resumes, and once you have scoped down your search to a few candidates, bring them in for an initial interview. During the initial interview, take the time to learn more about them and what they are looking for in their next role. Ask questions that will allow you to find out about their personality and who they really are as a person. When you’re working with The Headhunters, we pre-screen every candidate we present through our Workstyle & Performance Profile, which brings a scientific approach to assessing fit, removing the guesswork and helping eliminate unconscious bias.

4. Look carefully at your candidates’ experience and achievements

As you are looking through several resumes, make sure to focus on their work experience, and more importantly, any quantifiable achievements. This is what really counts when it comes to hiring top talent. Has the applicant described more than just duties? Can they explain their specific contribution to an organization’s success? Try to make this a top priority topic throughout the selection and interview process, because not everyone who has a lot of experience is necessarily the best performer. Often the quality of their experience in one or two roles will matter more than the total years of experience. Look for the specific experiences that relate to the job position you are looking to fill and the challenges facing your business.

Finding the best talent out there is not that hard when you’re working with an experienced recruitment agency like The Headhunters. We can put together a strategy that will attract the top talent that you need. Contact a branch near you to get started!