The One Thing That a Firm Needs to do Now to Attract More Talent
News flash! The war for talent is here! For those of us on the front line of this war, it has been here for a while. The economy has reached a point where there is no longer enough active talent (those candidates who are actively looking for new work) to fill the open roles. While this is true for all industries, the service/consulting industry is harder hit. Here is an interesting article outlining the recruiting nightmare.
While this does trend toward higher salaries, something that has lagged from the recession, it does not address that bigger problem of finding that right candidate for your firm. Throwing money at the issue does not find the best candidates, it closes the deal.
But there is a way!
It starts with two words that you may have heard, but may not understand. The words are EMPLOYER BRAND. The phrase is confusing because it has many meanings. Here is a simple definition:
OK, so what is the one thing? This sounds like four.
Think of your Employer Brand as the end goal. To get started, the one thing a firm can do to attract more talent is to develop recruiting strike team. In 2010 I wrote an article “Does Your Firm Have a Jedi Council?”
This article is all about creating and using a Recruiting Strike Team. I encourage you to take three minutes to read the article. It goes over the one thing your firm can do now to attract more talent, create a Recruiting Strike Team in your firm.
The strike team must be a mix of firm leadership and developing individual contributors. By balancing these two levels within the group the team does two things. First, it becomes aspirational, an appealing growth opportunity for the high bar talent already in your firm (think employee retention). Some firms I have worked with have made membership on the Council a rotational appointment and a qualifier for those on track to Principal.
The second thing it does is give voice to your firm’s core values. Each member of the strike team must understand, and speak about, your firm’s value proposition. They should also have an understanding of where your firm has been, how it has grown and how it defines its self in the market.
It is also important for members of the strike team to be involved with relevant organizations outside of the firm. Successful strike teams can also function as outward public relations tools.
So, while the goal is a strong employee brand, the one thing you can do for 2016 is to create your own Strike Team.
Good luck!
