How to Provide Your People with the Kind of Fulfilling Experience That Attracts Great Talent

High quality talent always has a bevy of options when they are looking to companies to work for. Some of them might even up and start a company of their own if the right opportunity doesn’t present itself in the labor market. As recruiters, it can be as challenging to differentiate your company from the other companies in your field when you are making your pitch to talented candidates. When candidates have top-shelf skills, it may be practical to consider whether your company presents itself not only as a top firm in its field, but also whether it is similarly competitive in terms of the kind of corporate culture it offers its employees.

One thing to consider when curating your company’s image in the face of many qualified candidates is how well it represents the tenets of morality that have become the epitome for corporate ethics in recent years. Consumers often consider factors like environmental sustainability and labor practices when considering what businesses to patronize, and Silicon Valley businesses are becoming increasingly responsive to the ethical values of their employees, so it stands to reason that as time goes by, more and more candidates will consider whether the position for which they are interviewing is with a company who represents their personal ethics. Of course, “personal ethics” can mean so many different things to a wide enough slate of people, but it is certainly worth your time to consider whether your company is presenting a unified image to candidates, consumers, and media outlets alike.

Another thing that is worth considering is whether you are offering your top-tier candidates the top-tier perks and benefits that they may be seeking. Many companies offer perks like unlimited vacation time, sometimes with complex results. Considering this, it is important to present to your candidates a slate of perks that isn’t weighted against sneaky or unpredictable tradeoffs. That isn’t to say that companies offer perks cynically or disingenuously, only that it is important to periodically revisit nominally “win-win” policies built into working for your company to make sure that they are actually win-win.

In the short-term, it may feel like giving things away in order to have a workforce that is more flexible and seemingly less productive, but when you give yourself an edge that brings in the most talented candidates, and you are working within a framework where those candidates (who become) employees are happy and proud to be working at your company, you will almost certainly start seeing your firm edge out competitors because you are the one who values your employees the most and is most excited to see them thriving in a positive work environment.