Are your employees getting poached? Tips on protecting your talent.
Today’s top employees are simply getting poached by active, aggressive recruiters dangling golden carrots such as higher salary and more opportunity. On a daily basis, sought-after employees must resist phone calls, LinkedIn messages, emails and letters from recruiters in order to stay focused on their current positions. Companies must also consider what employees value to create an employer brand.
How does a company protect their own talent, while actively recruiting new employees?
Protecting Current Talent
A January 2018 US Bureau of Labor Statistics job report showed that unemployment is at a 17 year low. Jobs in many industries are plentiful– and every company wants top talent. “The best jobs have a few attributes in common…they pay well, challenge us year after year, match our talents and skills, aren’t too stressful, offer room to advance throughout our careers, and provide a satisfying work-life balance” (US News and World Report). Companies must keep these important attributes in mind to stay competitive in today’s market. A recruiting firm partnership can help a company protect current talent through tailored advice.
Salary is the primary reason employees switch jobs. Maintaining a compensation structure is imperative for any organization. Compensation must remain in sync with the overall labor market. Artemis Consultants recommends that companies consider conducting a salary analysis every 18-24 months. A company could find itself paying employees too much and needlessly increasing operating costs, or it could be paying too little- leading to the poaching of employees.
Certain positions such as technology developers, sales and high-level executives, for instance—are in demand. Competitive compensation packages are often essential for attracting and retaining the best candidates. A reputation for strong compensation can help build positive brand associations.
Besides tailored salary advice, recruiting firms can help companies make sure the right candidate is in the position in the first place- based on the candidate’s personal goals–which can lead to long term retention.
Aggressively Recruiting to Meet Current Company Goals
“Recruit” is a verb meaning to enlist, call up, enroll, employ, engage, persuade. It’s an active process. A healthy company will always have new goals and hiring needs.
The right recruiting partner will be relentless. They will do more than simply send emails. They will make calls and use advanced contact data technology that will give you access to skilled candidates. An elite search partner will be telling YOUR company story, and delivering the message of why the most qualified candidate would be interested in YOUR company.
An elite partner will develop an individualized recruiting plan. This may include a presentation which showcases the opportunity. They may also give advice on how to create a go-to-market strategy that will resonate with your target audience. This includes a review of the job description. The job description clarifies what a company needs in an employee, and it’s candidates rely on it to ensure their skills match those sought by the company.
An elite recruiting partner will also help a company come up with the best job titles for the position. Candidates are attracted to opportunities that lead to the next logical step in their career.
Hiring is a process that needs to be positive and professional. This takes time and follow through. Partnering with a recruiting firm can help a company find an employee who fits well enough to stay long term in a position—and resist poaching.
If you don’t have the resources to use a recruiting partner, download this free Recruit Like a Pro eBook and learn some helpful do-it-yourself strategies.
