As we promised last week in our discussion of intentional attraction, this week we will review specific strategies to attract and recruit your dream team members long before you need them. Let’s talk about what we see when we scroll through our LinkedIn feed.
For starters, many of the companies we follow share news content, awards they have won, or prominent new hire information. What often surprises us is the lack of supportive comments or shares from other employees, especially senior leaders. Think about it - after someone took the time to write and share the information, the engagement of the company itself is lacking. For example, one company’s CEO recently won a prestigious award and the marketing team posted it on LinkedIn. After 4 days, this organization of 5,000+ employees garnered less than 50 likes and 6 comments (only one of which was from a senior executive.) This on its own is telling.
So how can you make sure this is not your organization?
Advocate for your Company
- In the News. When your company is in the news don't just scroll by (maybe clicking the "like" along the way), engage with the content. Read the article, comment on it, share it.
- Acknowledge the good stuff. Is there something great about your company that you want future employees to know? TELL THEM. Most of us are quick to talk about what bothers us, but much less likely to talk about what is great. Whether it is your leader, the generous paid time off, or even the free coffee – let people know!
- Generate content. Do you have a best practice that would help other companies improve their culture or recruiting strategies? SHARE IT. Sharing can help you create a competitive advantage. Do not believe us? Try googling "Google best practices," you will find they share a lot of information around recruiting, hiring, performance management… areas most companies see as competitive intelligence. As a result, they are one of the most competitive brands, and desirable employers, on the planet.
- Active Recruiting. If you see an open job posted re-post it to your network and highlight what you like about the team, the leader, or the role.
Did you leave a company on good terms? Support them by following them, sharing their news, and promoting their open positions. Goodwill not only builds their brand, it builds yours!
Advocate for your Team Members
- Show appreciation. When a colleague wins an award (team member, leader, someone you do not know), authors an article or blog, consume it. Engage with them. Congratulate them. If an announcement is on social media share it, if it is not, put it there.
- Be a follower. Follow your colleagues, especially team members, on social media and engage with them. Comment on their posts. Share their articles. Celebrate their professional successes. You will engage them, and their network, just by being present.
- One team, united. Encourage your direct reports to support each other also, especially on sites like LinkedIn or Facebook (or industry-specific ones) where there is a lot of traffic from potential future employees.
- Seek and you will find. Data mining is all the rage right now. Take advantage of the abundance of people information available to you. Follow industry thought leaders and publications that inspire you. Comment on and read the comments of others. Not only will you attract candidates, you might just discover one (or become one yourself!)
We hope you found this article helpful, visit us next week when we share what high performing candidates look for in their next leader.