How to Attract Top Talent

By: Together Abroad 09-04-2019 1:05 PM
Categories: * CV / Resume, * Daily employment news, ** HR daily news,

How to Attract Top Talent

‘Top talent’ is a buzzword that is thrown around a lot in the job marketplace. As the job market has grown naturally competitive, the demand for the best possible workers has grown exponentially. A wrong recruit can end up costing money, time and training if they turn out to be a bad fit, but on the other hand, companies want to know how to attract workers who will go above and beyond what is expected of them.

What Is ‘Top Talent’?

While the general idea of top talent constitutes an ideal employee, who performs or outperforms their job requirements, the real definition is much more subjective, dependent on industry, company values, and other variables. Interestingly, one recent study defined top talent as workers who are purpose-oriented; in other words, employees who view their work regarding personal fulfilment and serving others, rather than self-benefit in the form of income or status.

One of the issues with this definition is that the difficulty in finding workers who are genuinely passionate about their work can vary greatly depending on each industry. Where creative industries, such as the entertainment industry, have a much higher percentage of purpose-oriented workers, other typical business sectors lack similar figures. Workers in the non-profit and education sector are also much more likely to be purpose-oriented workers, prioritising meaningful and satisfying work that serves to help others.

However, the search for top talent is far from an impossible pursuit, which is why Together Abroad is a success. Being able to identify purpose-oriented individuals in each industry takes experience, but it also means closely looking at the character of a worker beyond their technical skills.

Looking Beyond Hard Skills

Allowing purpose-oriented workers to thrive means giving them an opportunity where they can feel that their work has a meaningful impact. Top talent workers are self-motivated, proactive and seek out opportunities where they can be challenged and faced with new opportunities to learn. The hiring processfor top talent already looks beyond technical skills, after looking at a candidate’s resume, during the interview stage.

73% of hiring managers say they look for candidates with a strong work ethic. At first glance, this is a vague characteristic, but when you think about it, it goes in hand with the typical qualities a hiring manager looks for, such as ambition, interest in the company, a career goal and a proactive attitude. The main point of the interview process is to pick out candidates with these desirable traits and to see how well they would fit in within a company.

What Do Top Talents Look For?

Seeking out purpose-oriented employees requires a much more proactive role on the part of a hiring company beyond picking them out during the selection process. Companies need to offer something in return in the form of a desirable work environment that makes employees feel valued, where they can see the results of their efforts and express their individuality and unique strengths. Workers also appreciate a good work/life balance that allows them to have a family or social life outside of work, and further helps to make them feel valued, rather than just being treated like ‘another worker.’

Companies that allow room for promotion and learning also give ambitious and driven employees a goal to strive towards. Many employees look for a long-term goal when it comes to job hunting and are more likely to choose jobs that hire from within or offer training courses that allow them to progress in new areas. Google, for example, offer a series of free classes to employees who may wish to learn skills in other areas such as design or programming.

An ideal, and perhaps extreme, example of a company that fully accommodates purpose-oriented workers is Valve Software. Since their beginning as a small game studio, they have become a multibillion-dollar company, thanks to their strong stance on innovation and creative freedom. Essentially, Valve does not believe in management but instead relies on the unique goals and ambitions of each of their employees to allow them to work on any projects they wish. This approach means passionate employees will naturally group together to work on projects that genuinely interest them, as is recently evident in Valve’s ambitious strides in VR technology.

Clearly, Valve’s flat hierarchy approach will not work for every company, but it teaches a valuable lesson in an extreme environment. Hiring the best employees goes hand-in-hand with creating a work culture and environment that accommodates their passion and interests to allow them to produce the best results. Purpose-driven employees will always work better when they know their work makes a difference and they have the room to grow and improve.


HR recruiters looking for or advertising top talent can work with us to reach the right candidates.

Written by Edward Mah for Together Abroad


This article is restricted. You have to be logged in to be able to add further reactions.

Our Career programs assist you to Get hired

For an expat moving to the Netherlands, getting the right direction is very important. It's important that one knows which steps and direction to take. Linda is an exceptionally talent counselor, her advice has helped me land a job within a week of coming to the Netherlands. I am grateful for her mentoring and look forward to a great working relationship in the future.

Dr. Hrishiraj S | Clinical Research & Affairs Manager

Together Abroad provided expert advice on personal branding including developing a top-notch, market-aware CV, highly tailored job applications, and approach strategies with potential employers in the Netherlands. Furthermore, I found them be highly knowledgeable in key related fields such as recruitment strategy, immigration law, contracts, labor agreements, and (un)employment benefits. I would recommend Together Abroad to anyone who needs professional help with transitioning to a new career.

A. Aboufirass | Structural Engeer

Linda is a big mind. She thinks about things that the rest normally overlook. The insight she has about the dutch job market can only be achieved through years of experience and persistence.

Her business savvy is complemented by her mastery of understanding the client's needs and requirements. For my career I could say, she was the “Mary Poppins”, who guided me through thick and thin and helped me to land a career in the Netherlands

S. Bhattacharjee | FP&A Manager

If you are going to enlist the services of a "Career Coach" look no further. The only person you want in your corner is Linda van Orsouw. As an expat, you absolutely want to work with a highly skilled and knowledgeable professional who knows their way around the Dutch career/employment/job market. Linda assisted me in writing and positioning my CV, helped me organize and prioritize my list of opportunities, coached me through mock interviews and was there when I got offered a senior position only 2 months later. When asked I will only refer to Linda and "Togetherabroad".

Mr. C. Joubert
Lead Workplace Strategy Consultant 

 

New item