5 Steps to Make Your Company Appeal to Candidates

5 Ways to Make Your Company Appeal to Top Quality Candidates

Attracting top talent is more competitive than ever, especially as candidates become increasingly discerning about where they choose to work. At Corporate Navigators, we are experts at identifying these talented candidates, mapping out the organizational structures of companies, and gathering competitive intelligence to help you make important hiring decisions.

While we can help you find candidates who meet your criteria, it’s also important for companies to appeal to top quality candidates for the recruitment process to work. So, whether you’re a startup or an established organization, here are five practical strategies to help your company stand out and entice the best and brightest to join your team.

5 Ways to Make Your Company Appeal to Quality Candidates

Making your company appeal to job candidates is an ongoing task that requires continuous evaluation and updates to your best practices. Overall, you must create a positive culture and brand image and make these positive aspects known to the public. Here are five tips to help your company appeal to those who matter.

1. Cultivate an Authentic, People-First Culture

Today’s top candidates want more than a paycheck. They want the whole package, especially when it comes to Gen Z. Not only are today’s top candidates looking for values alignment, but they also want a company culture that builds trust and a sense of purpose. Make your company’s culture visible and tangible, displaying your strengths, and you will be most likely to attract today’s top talent. Here are some quick tips to cultivate an authentic, people-first culture.

• Tip 1: Define and live your core values in everyday moments, not just in handbooks. Post these instances on social media for maximum promotion of these values.
• Tip 2: Invest in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This includes making psychological safety and belonging a priority, not an afterthought.
• Tip 3: Be transparent about your workplace environment. Candidates appreciate honesty and are seeking organizations where they can truly thrive.

2. Promote Your Employees’ Voices

Nothing is more powerful than genuine insights from the people who already work for you. After all, word of mouth is still an effective promotional tool even in the digital age. This is because people are always looking for something that is authentic. Therefore, share employee testimonials and experiences through your website and social channels. Here are some more tips regarding this step:

• Tip 1: Highlight stories about career growth and teamwork. Make reels and posts on social media and in email campaigns for effective outreach.
• Tip 2: Showcase how your team supports each other and what it’s really like on the inside.
• Tip 3: Use employee feedback to give candidates an authentic glimpse into daily life at your company.

3. Offer Competitive and Flexible Benefits

Salary matters, but it’s only part of the story. Winning top talent often means providing flexible options alongside comprehensive benefits. Staying ahead of what your top talent prefers will keep your company competitive, and some benefits and perks you offer may just be the defining factors that compel a candidate to choose you instead of another company.

• Tip 1: Provide competitive pay, and be clear about it early in the process. In fact, transparency about pay even in the job listing is preferred.
• Tip 2: Offer flexible schedules, remote work options, and paid time off. These are often valued more than a higher salary because Gen Z and Millennials, who make up around 60% of the workforce collectively, prefer more flex work options.
• Tip 3: Invest in training, development, and leadership programs. Candidates who see a company invested in growth will feel more secure.
• Tip 4: Do you have no idea what your competitors are offering? Then it will be harder to create the ideal benefits package. But through competitive intelligence, we can find out what top names in your industry are offering so you can stay competitive.

4. Create an Outstanding Candidate Experience

Did you know that you can make an impact on your employees long before they join your company? Your recruiting process is often the first real interaction candidates have with your company, so make it count. Interacting with each candidate respectfully and providing prompt communication is key to an excellent candidate journey. This is important even for people who don’t join your team since word of mouth can influence your reputation. Here are some tips on how to make an outstanding candidate experience.

• Tip 1: Build robust, thoughtful job descriptions that clearly outline role expectations and growth opportunities.
• Tip 2: Respond quickly at every stage. Don’t waste candidates’ time, and communicate openly.
• Tip 3: Make interviews and onboarding positive, engaging, and supportive.

5. Build a Strong Employer Brand (Online & Offline)

Your company’s branding has a broad impact on everyone who makes your business thrive: from existing customers, future clients, to your future employees. It’s the mark of your reputation and public image that the world sees, identifying your organization’s ideals, values, and mission. A good brand image can increase employee loyalty and make your company stand out— long before candidates even apply:

• Tip 1: Promote your company’s strengths and unique opportunities through social media, industry events, and job fairs.
• Tip 2: Establish partnerships with universities and community organizations to showcase your brand to emerging talent.
• Tip 3: Engage with industry groups and leverage employee referral programs to tap into new networks of potential candidates.

Attract Qualified Candidates

Attracting high-quality candidates starts with small, consistent improvements to your brand and company culture as a whole. It is also an ongoing project that continues to evolve as the wants and needs of your workforce evolves.

By creating an intentional culture, being transparent, including supportive benefits, having strong branding, and having a candidate-focused hiring journey, you can make your company appeal to the highest quality candidates. By investing in these five areas, you’ll not only stand out in the market, but also inspire top talent to see a future with your organization.