With the recovering economy and hiring on a steady incline, employers may have to reconsider their hiring efforts. Many candidates are now becoming aware that their services are in high demand and, as a result, they know they can now be more selective when making career decisions. This has created what’s being called the “war for talent”—the struggle for one company to outdo the other in attracting and retaining top talent in the industry.

In order to adjust your staffing strategies for these changes, focus on two major aspects: attracting talent and retaining talent.

Attracting Talent

When attempting to attract the best possible candidates, a company has to outshine the others—and with multiple industries booming, that can be difficult. Therefore, you should make sure you are…

1. Making faster, more competitive offers. There is no time to waste when offering a position to a great candidate with today’s job market, and in addition, the offer you do make should reflect the candidate’s worth. Job seekers know their services could be picked up in a timely and well-compensated fashion by another company if your organization doesn’t pull through.
2. Promote your company’s culture. More and more candidates are becoming concerned with company culture and turning to social media, word of mouth, and their own personal research to gauge proper cultural fit. When a prospective candidate is researching you, you want to make the best possible impression, and having a polished and active LinkedIn and/or Facebook page is just one of the many ways to ensure you do that!
3. Build a good reputation. Ultimately, candidates will hear of an organization’s reputation through the grapevine, and you want yours to be a positive one. This can be done through internal tactics, which play into…

Retaining Talent

Hiring and promoting from within is a great way to not only retain your current talent but to attract future talent, since serious candidates typically steer clear of organizations with the “revolving door” reputation. Whether you’re looking to retain current or future employees (preferably both!), you should be…

1. Discussing growth from the beginning. Keeping candidates aware of their future potential from the get-go is a great way to keep them invested in what they do. If there is room for growth in a position, make sure to be clear on what is expected of the candidate in order for them to get there.
2. Be flexible. While every company has their own policies and limitations, being as flexible as possible in scheduling, vacation time, and other aspects that play into an employee’s work-life balance can help raise employee satisfaction. As an added bonus, this should further boost your reputation as well.
3. Acknowledge and reward. One of the biggest complaints of disgruntled employees is the feeling of being underappreciated for their efforts in the workplace. Make a point of acknowledging hard work and accomplishments, and you should notice a significant increase in employee outlook and retention—which then creates a better reputation for your organization and cycles back to attract future talent.