10 Creative Ways To Attract Top Talent To Your Company

All companies and organizations have one thing in common: They are looking for the best talent that money can buy. It can be easy to assume that money is what attracts top talent, but that isn’t necessarily true. In fact, potential employees look for a lot more than just money and benefits; the intangibles matter, too.

In fact, there are a lot of things that companies can do that don’t necessarily look good on paper but can attract better employees. We asked members of Forbes Coaches Council to weigh in on creative ways that companies and organizations can find the best talent possible.

1. Host An Interactive Open House

Have an open house at the organization’s local office or a job fair with other organizations in your city. Create a fun way for talent to engage with you and get to know what your company does. Share something the general public would not ordinarily know about the company. Interactive and hands-on learning is attractive to all generations. –   Frances McIntosh,   Intentional Coaching LLC  

2. Engage In Person

Invite top potential talent to build a rapport with your team in person, not just online. So many companies try to create their online presence via hits or a successful website. That is critically important, but find a way to invite potential talent to volunteer in the community, attend open-air forums or subject matter talks and have them engage in person. Be an in-person engagement leader. – John M. O’Connor, Career Pro Inc.

3. Provide Employees With An Opportunity To Give Back

People don’t just want to work for a paycheck. They also want to feel that they are contributing to the greater good — that they are having an impact. Companies could look to offer an extra week (or weeks) of vacation where employees get the chance to go and work for a charity of their choice, like building a school in Haiti or teaching at an orphanage. Don’t be prescriptive; give them the choice. It will also act as a great interview question since it will probably tell you more about what really interests and motivates a candidate. – Gordon Tredgold, Leadership Principles LLC 

4. Reach Out To Previous Employees Who Left On Good Terms

Don’t be afraid to contact employees who left on good terms. Figure out why they left (Was it a better opportunity or more money?) and see what it would take for them to rejoin your organization. This won’t work for all employees, but for those it does work for, it will save lots of time, energy and training costs. Plus, if they come back, it shows they truly care about your organization. – Kyle Elliott, MPA, CHES, Kyle Elliott Consulting (CaffeinatedKyle.com)

5. Let Employees Lead

Encourage your team to volunteer in leadership roles outside the organization. Encourage employees to look for people who demonstrate strengths in skills that your team needs and reward people internally for identifying and attracting new talent. – Beth Kuhel, Get Hired, LLC 

6. Help Build A Company You Are Proud To Belong To

Companies that become employers of choice treat people well. Treating people well starts with having a robust interview process, where candidates are respected and informed at every step. It extends to having fair policies, consistently applied, and benefits that reflect the caliber of employee you want to attract. There are no shortcuts. Treat people well, and your reputation will attract the best. – Jean Ali Muhlbauer, The Muhlbauer Companies, LLC 

7. Become A Kind Organization 

Kindness always works. Kindness works in customer service and it works in relation to attracting and retaining talent. Benefits can be matched, but kindness is unique. Employees will always ask the question: Does this company care about me? Great companies work hard to create ways of showing kindness to their employees.  – Ken Gosnell, CEO Experience