Overcoming Common Challenges of Attracting Talent to the Organization

A primary yet competitive differentiator in organizations today is employee attraction, but the shortage of high-quality talent has some companies grappling with recruitment efforts now more than ever before.

Hiring for the best skills is an uphill battle when each job brings multiple candidates, but that isn't the case today where the supply of qualified applicants falls short of demand.

To make matters worse, employee turnover is at an all-time high, with at least 3 to 4.5 million employees quitting their jobs every month. Attracting talent to the organization is needed to achieve the best results, but so is preserving existing expertise. This starts with understanding the challenges and subsequent solutions to attracting and retaining talent in organizations.

Companies struggle to attract the right talent for various reasons but need to attract talented employees to succeed. Here are the two weakest points most businesses encounter when attracting and retaining top talent (and what can be done about it).

#1 Organizational Change Can Lead to Employee Unrest

The workplace model is changing, and with it, so are the functions of each organization. An excellent example is the hybrid business model's evolution following the pandemic's effects which has birthed a growing need for holistic wellness and employee engagement in the workplace.

When an organization endures a significant change or organizational restructure, the results can come from rumors among staff or negative comments on social media. Bad experiences are the easiest to remember, whether due to perceived high turnover, lower salaries, or a bad review.

It's impossible to hide from such a reputation because of social media and the internet. Prospective employees will research an organization, its website, and its social media presence at a minimum before applying for any role at a company. Companies with bad reviews should spend some time and effort repairing their reputation.

#2 Lack of Learning and Development Opportunities

Today's workers want benefits that go beyond health insurance and a 401(k). Qualified applicants are hyper-focused on career and development and will choose to go elsewhere if they do not see opportunities available within the organization.

Top talent continuously asks themselves things like:

• "What are my passions and strengths?"
• "Am I being challenged?"
• "Can I contribute?"
• "Will I be able to grow in my role?"
• "Will my company help get me there?"

Most employees want to perform their jobs well and contribute to the company's success. Without proper training and career development opportunities, employees won't buy into organization goals, leading to low staff morale and employee turnover.

How to Attract the Right Talent

Employers seek the most skilled and experienced candidates and hope to develop each new team member into long-term, productive hires. From the lack of benefits to the shortage of qualified applicants, companies can overcome common challenges of attracting talent while enhancing the applicant experience and bringing talented professionals in the door. But how?

Focus on and improve culture

Ensuring staff feels a sense of pride for their role and opportunities to advance to higher positions is essential for most individuals and the company culture. Creating a distinctive, authentic culture can be one of an organization's most impactful efforts. Determining what success looks like for the organization and how team members can be a part of it can help identify what core values and traits the organization holds most dear.

Identify employee concerns and any gaps in communication between the organization and employees. Hiring an organizational change management consultant helps speed up the process. It pays to align Employee Value Proposition (EVP) with corporate culture at every touchpoint in the employee journey with a goal to create a shared understanding of policies and processes to fill any gaps in the communication line.

Developing a company culture takes time, collaboration, and investment. Once the company culture has been established, share it on social media and compel those top talent potentials to take another look at your company and see what they're missing.

Branding attracts talent

How a company looks to outsiders matters, so businesses should work on branding to appear more attractive to candidates. If the company website lacks reflection upon who the organization is and what it stands for, updating the site content is a great way to inform potential candidates and clients about the brand.

Some companies find success by encouraging employees to become brand ambassadors by engaging through social media accounts. Be mindful that today's prospects will do excessive research and uncover employee reviews on sites like Glassdoor and Indeed.

Organizations should have a pulse on employee sentiments and provide a voice from the company's perspective. Last, leadership should create and live by a Company Value Proposition.

Provide development platforms and resources

Learning is one of the best ways to attract talented employees because it empowers career moves. High-quality talent wants to know:

• "What resources are offered for career development?"
• "What opportunities for advancement will I have?"
• "Is learning part of the company culture?"

Take advantage of change management consulting to identify the resources you need for employee development. Additionally, recognize that individuals have different abilities and thus learn differently.

Assess, coach, and understand the key strengths of each employee. Identify their motivators and risk factors. This also means ensuring you have multiple styles and platforms to train, develop, and engage your employees.

Types of platforms and resources may include:

• Auditory learning tools.
• Web-based learning.
• Interactive presentations.
• Quizzes and exams.
• Handouts and reading materials.
• Smaller peer development groups.
• Webinars.
• Larger focus group sessions.

Ensure your leadership team is aligned on the offerings available and has a consistent dialogue with their departments about the development opportunities. Meaningful conversations in one-on-one environments and employee surveys and peer reviews are additional ways an organization can keep a temperature on their employee base.

Employee Investment Promotes Talent Acquisition

Employees serve as the backbone of any strong organization, and nowadays, finding the right talent is proving more difficult than usual. Several factors impact a company's ability to find quality talents, such as the sudden increase in hybrid workplace structures, negative company reviews, and a slim benefits package. However, realizing these factors is the first step to mitigating change and improving your attractiveness to hopefuls in the job market.

Creating an organizational culture that aligns with employee needs and wants, enhancing your company's social media page, monitoring your online reviews, and making sure that your company lives up to its value proposition are just some of the ways that your company can increase its value. Revisiting the old saying, "treat others how you want to be treated," is more relevant now than ever, and it's never too late to facilitate an environment that's inclusive, empowering, and professional.

To learn more about how Blytheco attracts talent and maximizes employee investment, visit our careers page, follow us on LinkedIn, and visit our blog page for new articles!