Leadership and change expert Cheryl Cran says we are in an increasingly competitive environment when it comes to attracting top talent. As competition increases, companies must turn to unorthodox and progressive ways to recruit and retain top talent.

Below are some of her recommendations on how to find and keep talent in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing landscape. You can read the original article, written for Women in Technology International, here.

1. Social media is THE place where people are searching for jobs.
2. Video is the medium that helps job seekers determine the culture of a company, the brand reputation and more. Is your company maximizing video to communicate your company’s ‘attractiveness’ for potential employees?
3. Look in places that may not be obvious to find cultural fits for your companies. For example, an HVAC company I worked with put up a recruiting booth at a hunting and fishing conference and successfully recruited new employees that were a great fit for the company culture.
4. While seeking new talent, make sure you also stay focused on engaging your current top talent — poachers are standing by!
5. Revisit your policies and see where you can afford to relax. For example, the Society of Human Resources states that companies are relaxing their drug testing as some drugs are being legalized.
6. Revisit your educational standards. Companies are relaxing educational requirements in favor of skills such as adaptability, resiliency, and ability to handle multiple disruptions in the workplace.
7. Hire for human skills first and digital skills second. Every industry is now digital, and the biggest skills needed are the ability to collaborate, create, and communicate successfully with teams.
8. Start looking for young talent. Educating young workers about your industry and opportunities within it is critical. Waiting until students are looking for career opportunities can be too late — post information about your company on Instagram, share opportunities and ideas for young workers on YouTube, and visit and speak to students in elementary schools about your company.
9. Sell potential talent on your ‘story’. Mainstream media today is all about the opportunity for workers to self-actualize through being a hero. Create and share stories about your company and employees that showcase a ‘you can change the world by working with us’ angle to really engage new talent in the work that your company does.

Cheryl Cran helps leaders and their teams to build future workplaces, today. Thousands of her clients have benefited from her expertise in change leadership, organizational development, leadership development, communication planning, project management to result in growth, evolution, and success.

Interested in learning more about Cheryl and what she can bring to your next event? Email us at [email protected].