How to Attract Talent in Competitive Markets

Startups keep making the same hiring mistake. They recruit in waves—hiring when they need someone, then stopping until it’s an emergency. Suddenly, they need a key hire yesterday and scramble to find the perfect person in a tiny, competitive talent pool. This approach doesn’t work. If you want to attract top talent, recruiting has to be a constant priority. Here’s how: 1️⃣ Build relationships before you need them Make connections now, not when you’re desperate. Send messages, ask for intros, and check in with people regularly. Play the long game. The moment a great candidate is open, you should already be top of mind. 2️⃣ Create a culture people rave about Your best hires will come from your team’s network. If your employees love where they work, they’ll bring their best people with them. Make it easy for them to refer others by building a culture worth talking about. 3️⃣ Refine your pitch Why should someone choose you over the 10 other opportunities they have? Your messaging needs to be clear, compelling, and aligned with what your ideal candidate actually wants. If it’s not landing, tweak it until it does. 4️⃣ Be loud about your wins People want to join teams that are going places. Share your milestones, showcase your team’s work, and let people see the momentum. The best candidates aren’t just job hunting—they’re looking for the right story to join. Great companies are always recruiting. If you’re waiting until you need someone, you’re already behind.

Recruiting in an Employer’s Market? Stay Humble—and Stand Out Today’s job market? It’s an employer’s market. Great talent is in demand, cautious about changing roles, and rightly so. Many are staying put in stable jobs, and candidate experience has become more valuable than perks alone. So if you’re trying to win talent, don’t lead with swagger—lead with substance. 1. Don’t be arrogant. Candidates are wary of empty promises. Research shows nearly 53% face misleading hiring practices, and 47% want clear salary info up front. When you over-hype perks without transparency, you lose trust—and lose them. 2. Know your unique differentiator. What makes your workplace truly different? Is it: A skill-first culture (not credentials‑first)? By 2025, hiring is shifting to recognize practical skills over degrees. A genuine Employee Value Proposition (EVP) that extends beyond salary, growth, values, flexibility, community—that’s been shown to attract more committed hires? 3. Articulate a real EVP. Your EVP isn’t just buzzwords. It needs to answer: “Why should a talented professional leave a stable, safe job to come here?” Share specifics: Career acceleration: mentorship, transparent feedback loops, skill‑building budgets. Purpose woven in: “We X through Y.” Be concise and authentic. Culture markers, such as mental wellness days, remote-first, and open-source mindset, should be supported by data, including turnover rates and survey results. 4. Prioritize candidate experience. 66% of applicants accept offers because of a positive hiring process; 26% reject offers due to a lack of communication. That’s right—how you treat people now can be the deciding factor. Keep them informed. Clear, timely communication beats flash perks. Give them feedback—even if they don’t get the job. 79% would apply again if they got constructive insight. Make the process efficient and respectful: avoid long application forms, impersonal chatbots, or drawn-out rounds. 5. Embrace realism, not spin: Many top performers see switching jobs now as a risky move. If your narrative overpromises—saying “join us and skyrocket without effort”—you’ll be ignored. Instead: Be honest about where you’re headed as an organization. Show them someone like them thriving inside your team. Offer a clear roadmap of what career progression looks like. *Ask why it matters. *Lead with humility. *Avoid hype, default to openness. *Highlight real differentiation. *Invest deeply in candidate experience. *Communication and feedback increase acceptance rates. *Offer clarity, not fantasy. In today’s employer market, it’s not about waving the biggest carrot—it’s about walking the walk. If you’re genuinely fostering growth, transparency, care, and purpose in your organization, say it clearly, show it consistently, and candidates will listen. Let’s elevate recruitment together. Aspire Talent Advisory!

What do your *HR practices* and *market share* have in common? More than your CFO might think... Here's the data that's changing how boards view HR. Our research at Top Employers Institute shows that strategic *people practices* can be effective levers for business growth, with some correlated to market share gains of up to 15%. We measure 2,400+ employers on 300+ HR best practices annually. Here are 5 HR practices that we find are most correlated to fast-growing market share: 1) Aligning with purpose: consistently using a purpose scorecard to align actions with your company's "why" is correlated to 12% higher market share growth. When you lead with purpose, growth follows. 2) Leveraging recruitment analytics & obsessing over candidate experience: using data to optimize your talent attraction strategy can boost market share is correlated to 15% market share growth. Analytics-driven recruitment is a serious competitive advantage while measuring and optimizing every touchpoint in the candidate journey (pre, during, and post) is correlated to 12% higher market share. How you treat candidates is a reflection of your brand. 3) Empowering internal influencers: when business leaders actively promote your employer brand on internal social platforms, it correlates to 11% higher market share growth vs orgs that don’t. Employees are your most powerful brand ambassadors. 4) Building talent communities: Cultivating candidate communities both *internally* and *externally* leads to 9% higher market share. Proactively building talent pipelines gives you a head start on growth. 5) Prioritizing leadership development: Defining and tracking leadership development KPIs is correlated to 11% higher market share growth. Investing in leadership bench strength prepares you for growth. The most stunning insight here is the *range* of people practices that can drive market share, from employer branding to people analytics to agile performance. It's an important reminder that in today's economy, your people-practices can make or break your ability to grow (especially if you’re at a large multinational organization). So if *market share* matters to you, you may want to consider doubling down on these people practices. At Top Employers Institute we exist to build a better world of work. We certify HR excellence for 2,400+ global multinational employers representing every industry and 124 countries helping them do 3 things exceptionally well: 1) Benchmark, measure, and track progress on their HR practices year-over-year; 2) Enhance their employer brand in key markets; 3) Improve HR Leader’s relationship with the board by correlating HR practice improvements to key business outcomes (like rev growth, profitability, & shareholder value gain). Question for you: which of these 5 practices do you find most or least surprising? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

According to Glassdoor, only about 0.4% of applicants who submit resumes through job boards and employment websites get an offer. Imagine if a sales or marketing team had a conversion rate of just 0.4%; the company would go bankrupt! Companies posting jobs on LinkedIn, Indeed, and beyond, then pray the ideal candidate applies because they want to "save money" (on recruiters). Newsflash: It's inefficient and costly, with little return. Be strategic like a marketer: A marketer wouldn't blow unlimited ad spend targeting the entire world. They target their audience specifically, using data to pinpoint the right prospects. Recruiting should be the same: target those with the exact therapeutic backgrounds you need, rather than hoping they stumble upon your post. I've scaled teams at startups and Fortune 500s by flipping to active sourcing: targeted LinkedIn hunts, referral networks, and personalized DMs to snag those elusive experts with the right therapeutic backgrounds. The result: hiring teams see talent in under 10 days, and 87% of the talent they see is invited for an interview. Reviewing 500+ resumes from a portal is not only inefficient but also expensive (and hiring managers don't have the time). Why shouldn't recruitment strategy be held to the same standard as the marketing, sales, and other teams within an organization? Modernize your recruitment with a data-driven approach. Let's craft smarter talent pipelines. DM me for sourcing tips on talent. #Recruiting #TalentAcquisition #HiringTips #HR #Leadership #PharmaJobs #BiotechHiring

How can our team adopt a recruiting mindset at conferences? 👷♀️Pre-Game. Glance at your current job openings & touch base with HR before the conference. If you are hiring Superintendents or Engineers en masse, know before you go. 🤝Work the meeting-before-the-meeting. Think beyond formal recruiting sessions. Every interaction - whether at presentations, coffee breaks, social events, or even waiting in line - is a potential opportunity to connect. 🚜Know that we're farming; not hunting. Focus on genuine relationship building rather than immediate hiring. Strike up natural conversations about shared professional interests, industry trends, and conference takeaways. This authentic approach makes people more receptive to future opportunities. 🤳Connect and collect. When you meet someone, exchange information and connect here on LinkedIn to keep in touch. LinkedIn connections stay with you while business cards don't. 💻Follow up & follow through. Send personalized messages referencing your conversations and stay in touch periodically. Even if they're not looking to move immediately, maintaining these relationships creates a talent pipeline for future openings. The real power of conference networking lies in its compound effect. As you build your network event by event, conversation by conversation, you create an ever-expanding web of talented professionals who know and trust your company. This not only helps fill current openings but positions your organization as an employer of choice. When employees embrace the recruiting mindset, they become ambassadors who can attract exceptional talent far beyond what traditional hiring channels can achieve. Get out there.

Q2: We’re officially in bonus season aftermath, and you know what that means... We’re already seeing a surge of talented professionals entering the job market now that their year-end bonuses have hit. And they’re not just browsing. They’re ready to make a move. So why are they looking? ➡️ Lack of growth or upward mobility ➡️ Poor or uninspiring leadership ➡️ Burnout from unrealistic workloads ➡️ Compensation that’s no longer competitive ➡️ A desire for more flexibility or remote options ➡️ Cultural misalignment ➡️ Simply... ready for a change If you're hiring this quarter, here's how to attract top-tier talent: ✅ Streamline your interview process. SPEED matters ✅ Offer clear growth paths and development opportunities ✅ Be transparent with compensation. Candidates ARE comparing offers ✅ Showcase strong, people-first leadership ✅ Offer flexibility: hybrid or remote options are still high value ✅ Share your company culture authentically. People want to "belong" ✅ Don’t lowball. Strong candidates know their worth Top candidates are out there right now, but they’re not going to wait around. If you’re planning to build your team this quarter, now’s the time to be intentional, competitive, and candidate focused. Now is NOT the time to play foolish games. Monarch Talent Solutions

Reactive vs. proactive - how would you define your talent acquisition strategy? Here’s how to know: What question is your talent acquisition team asking itself? How do we find the right candidate? → Reactive 📉 How do we attract the right person? → Proactive 📈 Too often, talent acquisition teams start their sourcing strategy when a role opens up. They start considering the sources they need to tap into in order to find the right candidate for the role. Reframing the strategy around “how do we attract the right person?” requires talent acquisition teams to build an always-on attraction engine. Tracy St.Dic from Zapier shared some great examples on The Speed to Hire Show: 1. Partner with organizations specifically focused on under-represented groups “Talent is everywhere.” Start establishing connections with people you want to attract to your organization early on. Participate in events, speak to groups, and distribute content to create a magnetic pull. 2. Ensure your employer branding content tells the true story of your organization. Get with executive leadership so the messaging you’re putting out in the world truly aligns with what your organization is like. Who are you a good fit for? Some candidates will want to be a part of it, others won’t, and that’s okay. You’ll appreciate this when you start hiring and the most engaged candidates are ones who already know they want to work for you because they’ve been able to find this information ahead of applying. 3. Start to build a talent community. If you’re nailing employer branding, there will be plenty more people who want to work for you than open positions. So, give candidates a way to join your community, keep in touch, and continue learning about the organization. But, it’s not just a mailing list. Be proactive about how you can continuously add value to this community. Zapier does this by way of hosting workshops on topics such as resume writing and salary negotiation. When you reposition your strategy from “How do we find the right candidate?” to “How do we attract the right person?”, you’ll 10x the value your talent acquisition team brings to the business. There’s no better time than now to start 😀 #hiring #employerbranding

My business has dramatically picked up this quarter, and here’s what I’m noticing: There’s a misconception that there’s an overflow of candidates. Many believe they can take their time, sift through resumes, and pick the perfect fit. AND here’s the reality: Not everyone who fits your criteria is actively searching for new roles. Candidates aren’t lining up just because you have: – the "hottest product" – "whitespace in the market" – "a founding team from the best companies" Every company says the same things: – "top investors" – "disruptive" – "the next big thing" Competing offers are real. Companies often miss out on their favorite candidates. The truth? The market is competitive, and the supply of the right candidates isn’t as vast as you think. So how do you hire successfully? 1. Understand the market: Quality and availability aren’t always guaranteed. 2. Be proactive: Build relationships before you need to hire 3. Look beyond resumes: Talent can come from unexpected places. 4. Nurture talent: Focus on passion and growth, not just ticking boxes. 5. Retain your team: Keeping great talent matters as much as recruiting new talent. In my 10+ years in the business... I’ve learned that the real gems often come from those with passion, creativity, and a drive to learn. The tech industry thrives on innovation— and sometimes, the best ideas come from those who think differently. How are you adapting your hiring strategy? Spoiler: The tech doesn’t speak for itself. Talent does.

If your talent acquisition process received even half the care you put into customer acquisition, you'd have exceptional candidates lining up to join your team. I've seen countless companies invest heavily in crafting sophisticated customer journeys with polished landing pages, personalized email sequences, and carefully optimized sales funnels aimed at converting every potential customer into a buyer. Yet when examining the same companies' talent acquisition processes, the contrast is startling. It’s like watching an artist carefully create a masterpiece, only to hastily frame it with cheap, rusty materials at the very end. Recently, we partnered with a healthcare organization that struggled significantly with talent attraction. Their career site was outdated, job descriptions read like dry legal documents, and there was no effort to communicate their culture or the meaningful impact of their work. After thoughtfully redesigning their talent attraction strategy, they achieved a 45% increase in qualified candidate applications. Their approach was straightforward: treat prospective employees with the same intentionality, respect, and polish typically reserved for prospective customers. Here’s what worked for them—and can work for you:  • Clearly communicate your company’s most compelling story  • Showcase meaningful projects and the genuine impact your teams have  • Ensure applying is as effortless as ordering takeout Imagine the results if you treated candidates with the same intentionality you show customers—higher-quality applicants, stronger teams, and a reputation as the place top talent wants to be. Look at your current candidate experience and ask yourself honestly: Is this your best pitch?

When hiring managers call me for help with an challenging HR search, I often hear this story: "We posted the job, got a flood of applicants, and still didn’t find the right person." Especially in today’s market, certain HR roles can attract hundreds of applications. But volume doesn’t always equal quality. The right person often isn’t in your inbox. That’s where strategic, relationship-driven search comes in. My job is to look beyond the applicant pool. I dig deeper, uncover less obvious candidates, and present a curated shortlist of both active and passive talent—people who can not only do the job, but thrive in your environment and understand your industry and workforce. In 2024, I filled 30 HR searches across the country—and 23 of those were placed with passive talent. These were professionals who weren’t actively applying, but were open to the right opportunity when approached with intention and context. That’s what I love most about this work: there’s creativity in the process. It starts by building a profile with the client that goes beyond a job description. We define what success looks like in your unique context—your team, your culture, your business goals. That becomes our roadmap. From there, we launch a custom search—reaching out directly to professionals who aren't actively looking, but are open to a great opportunity. Great search is proactive, not reactive. Don’t wait for top talent to find you. Go find them. Hiring the right HR leader takes time, intention, and a clear story about what makes your company special. But when you get it right? It changes everything. I’ve seen it time and again: a stalled search becomes a transformational hire—and the impact is immediate. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the volume of applicants, take a step back. The right person might not be in the pile—but they are out there. Keep the faith. Keep the bar high. You’re not just filling a seat. You’re shaping the future of your company. #hiringstrategy #humanresources #talent #talentacquisition