How to Hire Top Talent: 6 Proven Strategies

Tech people are hard to hire. Top talents in technology are already making a fortune and have proven themselves in their career. Even in a down market, software developers never struggle to find good paying work.

Despite the recent turbulence in the tech job market, there are more open IT jobs than filled positions in the US. Even more so, 54% of companies report they still experience skills shortage in tech. It means that the demand for skilled tech professionals stays high. That’s where HR professionals try to gain ground by using different passive recruitment strategies.

Passive hiring means that recruiters find and attract employees who are not actively looking for a job at the moment. The first hard task is to find the best talents, and the second one is to convince them to join your team.

So, how do you headhunt for the best professionals in a tight tech labor market? In this article, I will show my top talent acquisition strategies which help us gather a brilliant team (and do it fast). 

Let’s start with the most important.

1. Leverage multiple recruitment channels

If you are serious about hiring top talent, you shouldn’t rely solely on vacancies on online job boards. Here is my number one tip: to reach a wider pool of candidates, you need to be present on major professional networks. So, make sure to:

• Be active on social media such as LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or any other relevant network to maximize your reach.
• Tap into professional community websites where you can source true talents. Here, we’ve listed some of the top free sourcing platforms for tech recruiters.

Trying to connect with passive candidates on social media, you may find it hard to kick off your first conversation. That is why your communication has to start with crystal-clear, tailored messaging. 

Further, I’ll show you how to stand out from the crowd of competitors and become an employer of choice for quality candidates.

2. Do networking and forge connections

To hire the best candidates, companies need to be proactive instead of just waiting for talents to show up themselves. Put more effort into building your external talent pool from which you can source the best talents:

• Build relationships with educational institutions and participate in job fairs. Offering mentorship programs and internships helps companies connect with emerging talent early on.
• Attend industry-related meetups. Be present at events and forums on Meetup, Eventbrite, and Facebook Events to network and attract talent.
• Speak at events and build a strong employer brand to promote your company's unique selling points. Or leverage brand ambassadors to do it for you.
• Stage your own events, for example, host recruitment events and hackathons. These become great opportunities for rising talents to get a foot in the door of the best employers.

It may sound daunting to organize all this. But remember you lay the groundwork and build connections for future collaborations first. Then, people come in like a snowball, and you carry on together.

3. Tap into internal talent pool with precision

Referrals from employees, industry contacts, and business partners are one of the best sources of motivated professionals. To find top talents from your existing network:

• Fuel an employee referral program. To attract and retain top talent, look for people from the closest connections. After all, the power of word of mouth is the mightiest (just like an employee referral bonus).
• Re-engage people with whom you’ve already been in touch. Reconnect with past applicants and former employees. You can keep a database of them in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and reach out to them once a suitable new role appears.

Shortlist the best candidates who meet the required criteria and save them for the future. A good job position may not arrive in a day. But within a few months there may appear a tailored offer for the brightest candidate.

‍4. Offer competitive compensations and benefits

Before approaching a desired top candidate with an offer, understand what motivates them. Is it superior compensation, better work-life balance, or opportunities for career advancement? Propose offerings that are a notch above what they currently have:

• Research market rates and offer competitive salaries to attract top talent.
• Prominently highlight the option of remote work opportunities and flexible work arrangements, if available.
• Provide attractive perks and additional benefits, such as insurance, one-time bonuses, and wellness programs.
• Mention any available training programs or stipends, showing there are opportunities for professional growth.

To hire top talent for senior positions, you’ve got to unlock the candidate’s ambitions. They are likely to be more aspiring to role upgrades. For these guys, you need to show there is an opportunity for growth and career development at your company.‍ Consider appointing candidates to higher-level positions than what they currently have, coupled with appropriate compensation. 

5. Create a positive candidate experience

It’s great to find talent that not only fits the job but also fosters the overall culture of the organization. To attain this, a hiring manager must take steps that elevate the candidate experience:

• Create detailed job descriptions that outline both the required skills and the values that align with the company's philosophy.
• Boost candidate engagement to increase the chances that a top candidate will agree to your proposal. Answer candidate questions timely and deliver proper feedback.
• Reassure the cultural fit. Incorporate questions in job interviews to uncover the candidates’s personal values and explain your mission.

To get ready with those, you’ve got to build a compelling employee narrative and showcase your company culture. Here, your consistent strategy should include building a positive employee brand.

6. Develop a positive employer branding

Some companies migrate across the best employers’ lists year over year. So, how to become such a company where talents are queuing up to get in? 

The matter goes far beyond employee count and budgets. For top talents, paychecks are not the only factor for pursuing a career. To become a company of choice, you’ve got to show values and meaningfulness to candidates. And for this purpose, you have social media and career pages to work it through:

• Give candidates a glimpse into your corporate culture. Frequently share insights, employee experiences, and industry knowledge to bolster your employer brand. 
• Highlight achievements and milestones to keep passive candidates engaged and informed about the exciting developments in your organization.
• Publish insightful, value-added content tailored to your target candidates' industry or interests.
• Promote a diverse and inclusive work culture. Diversity, equality, and inclusion is particularly appealing to potential candidates from millennials and Gen Z. It means a more supportive work environment, which contributes to employee satisfaction.

This strategy helps position your company as a thought leader. Regular visibility in your target audience’s feed encourages potential candidates to engage. And when people consider a career move, they definitely keep you in mind.

Bottomline

These talent acquisition strategies effectively engage quality candidates and allow companies to hire and retain top talent​ with higher ROI. If you are looking to transform your recruitment approach, take a look at our comprehensive recruitment process guide. It highlights the strategies and tools that will secure top-tier talent for your organization for years.