Every recruiter’s experienced the struggle to attract the right candidates for the right role. It’s something that most companies will be all too familiar with. Especially those that don’t already have a stellar reputation or million-dollar salaries to pay.

But attracting top talent is about more than the optics of your company or the benefits you offer. It’s also about being able to know what the talent you’re after wants and appealing directly to them. If you’d like to learn how to hire great talent, this guide is for you.

Read on to find out how you can use each and every stage of the recruitment process to hire the best candidate possible.

Think About Who You Want to Attract

Believe it or not, finding the perfect candidate begins even before the recruitment process officially begins. Before you start to interview candidates or even create a job posting, you should first think about the type of talent you want to attract.

For example, if you’re looking for someone with decades of experience, you won’t want to use language or offer benefits most popular with Gen Z. If you’re looking for someone creative, you shouldn’t appeal to technical, analytical people in your job posting. Think about the traits of your ideal candidate and proceed with the recruitment process accordingly.

Begin With the Job Posting

Once you’ve established the type of person you’re looking to hire, you can craft a job posting that will appeal to them. Include your company’s mission and objectives, so candidates know upfront what you’re about. This will weed out anyone who mightn’t share your goals or values.

Add in as much detail about the role as possible. This will let candidates assess whether they think they would be a good fit. Don’t downplay the amount of work involved, the right candidate will be willing to work as much or as little as you need. 

Offer Desirable Benefits

Of course, benefits are a great way to attract top talent. If you’re a small or new company, you may not feel as though you have much to offer. But great benefits don’t just refer to monetary remuneration. 

For example, most Americans would take a pay cut for the opportunity of flexible work. You can also offer mentoring, extra vacation days, discounted travel, or free snacks. Be generous and offer benefits within your means, candidates will appreciate it.

Work With Professionals to Attract Great Talent

Recruitment isn’t always easy. But one way to make sure you get it right is to work with professionals.

A recruitment agency will be skilled and experienced in attracting top talent and can do most of the heavy lifting for you. If this is something your company can afford, it’s certainly worth looking into.

Build It and They Will Come

At the end of the day, one of the best ways to attract great talent is to be a great company to work for. Be honest, generous, and act with integrity—your reputation will precede you. If you’ve enjoyed this guide, check out the rest of our content.