Understanding What Top Talent Wants
The first step to attracting top talent is understanding what truly motivates and inspires people. While compensation is always important, top performers are usually driven by more intrinsic factors as well.
Some of the key things top talent looks for include:
- Meaningful work – They want to feel like their work is making a positive impact and is interesting/challenging.
- Autonomy and growth – They enjoy having independence and flexibility in their work. They also want opportunities to continuously learn and take on more responsibilities.
- Recognition and appreciation – While they may not seek attention, top talent still wants their contributions to be acknowledged in meaningful ways on a regular basis.
- Culture and community – Being part of a supportive, collaborative team environment is highly valued. They want to feel respected and valued by their peers and leadership.
Understanding these core motivators will help you craft an attractive value proposition and work environment that top talent finds truly compelling.
Sourcing and Recruiting Top Talent Strategically
Once you understand what top talent wants, the next step is reaching them through the right channels.
Some effective strategies include:
- Leveraging your professional network on LinkedIn to identify and refer potential candidates. Make meaningful connections by following thought leaders in your industry.
- Posting jobs on niche industry sites and communities frequented by top performers in your field. Consider sites beyond general job boards.
- Attending and sponsoring industry events/conferences to make connections face-to-face. Consider speaking/teaching opportunities to boost your visibility.
- Partnering with recruiting firms and headhunters specialized in your industry. They have deep networks of both active and passive top talent.
- Using employer branding on your website, social media profiles and job ads to clearly convey your culture and value proposition upfront.
- Offering competitive compensation and benefits commensurate with top talent in your industry and location. Money is still a big motivator.
The goal is casting a wide net through diverse, targeted channels to reach your ideal candidates wherever they are spending time and having meaningful discussions in their field.
Where Agencies Find Top Talent
Finding top-tier digital marketing talent is like panning for gold – it takes strategy, the right tools, and a bit of luck. Gone are the days of relying solely on job boards. Today’s agencies need to be proactive, creative, and tap into diverse talent pools to build a team that crushes it.
Here’s where the savvy agencies are fishing for the best digital marketers:
1. Online Talent Platforms:
- LinkedIn: The OG professional network remains a goldmine. Utilize advanced search filters, join industry groups, and leverage LinkedIn Recruiter for targeted outreach.
- Industry-Specific Job Boards: Think platforms like WeWorkRemotely (for remote talent), Working Not Working (for freelancers), or niche boards focused on specific marketing disciplines (SEO, PPC, etc.).
- Portfolio Platforms: Sites like Behance, Dribbble, and even Instagram are where creatives showcase their work. Look beyond the visuals – assess their strategic thinking and client results.
2. Community Building & Networking:
- Industry Events & Conferences: Attend conferences, workshops, and webinars not just for learning, but for connecting with potential hires.
- Online Communities: Engage in relevant Slack groups, subreddits, and LinkedIn groups. Share insightful content, answer questions, and establish yourself as a thought leader to attract talent.
- Host Your Own Events: Organize workshops, webinars, or even casual meetups to connect with local talent and build your employer brand.
3. Think Outside the Traditional Resume:
- Skills-Based Assessments: Use tools like Codility, HackerRank, or even custom tasks to assess practical skills, going beyond self-reported experience.
- Freelancers & Contractors: Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr can be great for testing the waters before committing to a full-time hire.
- Internship Programs: Nurture future talent by offering internships. It’s a chance to evaluate work ethic and potential fit within your agency culture.
4. Don’t Underestimate Your Network:
- Employee Referrals: Your team knows your agency best. Offer referral bonuses and encourage them to spread the word.
- Past Colleagues & Clients: Reach out to your network. You never know who might be looking or have a recommendation.
Remember: Finding and keeping top talent is an ongoing process. Be proactive, build relationships, and create a workplace where talented individuals thrive.
Onboarding and Developing Top Talent Effectively
Once you’ve attracted top talent, it’s critical to onboard and develop them effectively to maximize retention.
Some best practices include:
- Providing a clear, well-documented onboarding plan focusing on both logistics and culture assimilation.
- Assigning mentors/buddies to help new hires adjust and answer questions quickly.
- Setting clear expectations, providing regular feedback and aligning work to interests and strengths.
- Offering ongoing learning and development opportunities through conferences, courses and stretch projects.
- Recognizing achievements and contributions frequently through rewards, promotions and public praise.
- Soliciting feedback regularly to make continuous improvements based on the needs of top talent.
- Cultivating an inclusive, collaborative culture where top performers can thrive and be themselves.
The goal is helping top talent integrate, perform and continually grow so they find your agency a great long-term career move and stay committed.
FAQs About Attracting and Retaining Top Talent
Q1. How do I make my company culture appealing to top talent?
Focus on cultivating an environment of trust, respect, continuous learning and impact. Encourage autonomy, flexibility and open communication. Recognize both professional and personal milestones in a meaningful way.
Q2. What are some effective recognition strategies for top performers?
Public praise and testimonials, more high-profile projects, flexible work arrangements, additional learning/travel budgets, cash/stock bonuses, dedicated career development paths and fast-tracked promotions are all highly valued forms of recognition.
Q3. How do I prevent top talent attrition?
Keep challenging work flowing, provide opportunities for growth, solicit regular feedback, address issues proactively and ensure compensation remains competitive. Cultivate strong relationships and a sense of belonging through community bonding activities as well.
Q4. What are some engagement best practices beyond compensation?
Frequent 1:1s, mentorship programs, learning events, volunteering opportunities, wellness programs and flexible time-off are all engagement boosters. Recognize individual contributions to larger successes. Foster transparency and psychological safety in communication and decision making.
Q5. How do I transition passive candidates into active job seekers?
Reach out personally with a thoughtful message highlighting potential career impact. Offer informational discussions to understand mutual fit without pressure. Invite to exclusive virtual/in-person events. Introduce to team members. Make the potential opportunity compelling enough for them to take action.
Conclusion
Attracting and retaining top talent is crucial for the ongoing success of any agency.
While it requires dedicating strategic resources, the returns are immense in the form of higher productivity, quality of work, customer satisfaction and overall growth.
I hope these insights help you attract, develop and retain top talent to take your agency to greater heights! Let me know if any other questions come up.
