To Attract Top Talent with Executive Search, You Need to Tell Your Story
September 29, 2016 | Posted by: Theresa Torseth | No Comments
Even if your company’s spent valuable resources perfecting its brand, don’t assume that name recognition alone will guarantee people want to work for you. Attracting top-notch talent is tough, even more so in an executive search. Attracting quality talent that truly complements your company culture can be even harder. Savvy companies are taking a page from their inbound marketing campaigns and finding ways to tell their story in compelling ways. Is it time for you to do the same?
How Do Potential Hires See Your Brand?
Job seekers now research companies online before applying, and the more experience they have, the more weight they seem to give a potential employer’s brand. Take a page from their book, and Google both your name and your company name. What are the results? Are you portraying yourself the way you envision yourself? Is your brand? Does your story reflect your company’s mission and vision?
Tell Your Story
Start by defining your company culture: its core values, practices, goals, expectations, and processes. These are the elements of good storytelling. Let potential hires know the work environment they can expect, as well the potential challenges they’ll face and the difference they can make. For some people, storytelling comes naturally, but for the majority, it takes some work to fashion a narrative that stands out in the sea of competitors. That’s where the “your” in your story comes into play.
As with most writing, you start with a bad first draft that helps filter out the platitudes and clichés. Not all of the following components need to be included in every story you tell, and over time, your story will probably change to adapt to each executive search. To write your unique tale that connects with candidates on an emotional level:
- Talk About the People, including the leadership, as well as other employees.
- Define the “Wow” Factor that makes your employees’ friends jealous that they work for you.
- Illustrate Company Traits, such as learning and development, work practices, internal communication, and other routines.
- Spell Out your company’s values and what the deeper meaning is behind them.
Be the Leader
Remember, the most sought after candidates are the ones who are also most choosy. When you humanize your company through stories, you make it a desirable place to work. Ultimately, taking control of your company’s narrative is the best way to capture the attention of – and hire – top talent.