When it comes to hiring new employees, one truth unites companies across all industries, sizes and demographics: they want the best of the best. However, with the job market becoming increasingly competitive, employers are faced with the challenge of finding stellar employees in an endless sea of candidates. In order to combat these difficulties, business leaders can implement certain strategies that help their company naturally draw in fantastic candidates, rather than searching for them blindly. Check out the following suggestions for employee recruiting that will help your business attract highly competent, ambitious employees for years to come.

Prioritize Company Culture 

The first step in attracting top-notch candidates is developing a strong, positive company culture. According to a recent Forbes study, company culture is the second-most prioritized factor when employees are choosing a professional position. The fact that company culture is ranked just below salary among employees’ priorities proves that they are searching for a well-rounded, enjoyable work experience. Show candidates that your company has more to offer than a steady paycheck by developing community building, team activities and an overall positive atmosphere. These actions help employees see you appreciate them, which tends to benefit team performance while appealing to more qualified candidates. 

Showcase Benefits 

Yet another way to connect with outstanding candidates is to highlight the various benefits that your company offers. When discussing benefits, it’s helpful to create messaging across multiple media platforms, always using a positive tone that uplifts the reader. Take stock of your target employee recruiting audience and ask yourself what they are searching for in employee benefits. Find ways to pinpoint these needs over email, social media and website content, always presenting your benefits as the solution. Another strategy to attract the best candidates on the market is to utilize current employees’ benefit-related success stories. A few positive quotes from employees will go a long way in appealing to new candidates. This is because potential candidates are likely to see employee opinions as more credible than employee recruiting marketing materials. 

Start an Employee Referral Program

The sheer number of applicants for a job opening is enough to overwhelm most employers. However, there might be a better way to find the diamonds in the rough: an employee referral program. An employee referral program is an effective way to connect with fantastic candidates within your current employees’ diverse networks. In fact, research shows that employee referrals are 4x more likely to be hired than blind candidates. Offering employees a $100 referral bonus will make them think twice before saying, “No, I don’t know anyone who’s looking.” Because your employees already have an intimate knowledge of your company’s culture, operations and goals, they are highly valuable resources in the search for quality team members. This method can even benefit employee retention. 

Maintain a Pristine Online Reputation 

Last but not least, if your company wants to attract the best and the brightest, it is crucial that you maintain a glowing online reputation. In the same way that employers “Google” candidates, one of the first things that candidates do to learn about a company is open up a search engine. Make sure that your business’s online presence is positive, clear and well-developed. Encourage current and past employees to complete a company evaluation on websites like GlassDoor. The more appealing your company’s website, social media and reviews are, the more likely it is that excellent candidates will come your way. 

Recruiting top-notch employees and improving employee retention isn’t always easy, but these four key strategies are sure to help your company build an exceptional team.