With so many new technologies and industry best practices, it can be tough to know where to focus your recruitment strategy efforts. Considering today’s increasingly competitive hiring environment, a well-defined Employment Brand should be first and foremost on the list. Doing so helps better establish your company’s unique Employee Value Proposition (EVP), which is imperative to attracting top candidates, but where do you start?

We like to start by identifying your People Brand. Establishing your people brand is all about answering one important candidate question: “why should people work for you?” Identify your company’s core attributes and reap the rewards of a next-level recruiting strategy. Read on for the top recruiting tips from our team.

Hire Better Candidates

Identifying your People Brand means understanding the company attributes that encompass your teams values, enabling you to gain insight on what motivates similar-minded candidates — making your Employment Value Proposition come to life. Leveraging your organization’s EVP makes it easier to target the right candidate audience and encourages prospects to self-select in or out of the application process. Use this knowledge to get in front of the candidates best fit for your organization’s unique culture. Remember, candidates are asking more than “are you the best place to work?” The question is “are you the best place to work for me?”

What’s your best tip for hiring better candidates?

Tell a better story. Finding better candidates is not just about better exposure, it’s about attracting the very best of available talent. The goal isn’t just getting in front of better candidates. It’s getting those    better candidates to apply which is about better branding and candidate engagement. –Zach, VP of Enterprise Sales

Recruit with Purpose

Know your people, know where to find more like them. Simplify the recruiting process by identifying, selecting and hiring individuals based on criteria gathered from your People Brand. With a clear understanding of your company’s core culture, you’ll naturally identify those qualities in others during the recruiting process. A streamlined criteria-based enables your organization to be on the same page in terms of driving company culture, thus creating a more efficient and effective recruiting strategy.

What one thing do the best recruiters you know do better than the rest?

They are everywhere. The best recruiters know who their ideal candidates are and how to get in front of them. They know where candidates work, network, and even where they drink beers at night. –David, Director of Client Success

Recruiting is a Two-Way Street

Regardless of company size, it’s not enough to put out a job posting and hope for the best. Too often hiring managers take for granted the fact that top candidates have other options. Bad communication, no online representation of company culture and a complex application process can be deal-breakers costing you dozens of qualified candidates. Knowing your company’s core attributes puts your organization in a position to show top candidates why they belong with the best in the business — your company.

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to a new recruiter?

Put yourself in the candidate’s shoes. Too often, online recruitment strategy is constructed in service of internal needs, compliance and procedures.  Make sure your strategy serves the candidates needs as well and makes for an easy and engaging experience. –Jasmine, Director of Talent Development