Attracting the ‘right’ and ‘best’ employees for your business is one of the most challenging tasks facing almost every company out there in the market…

Attracting the ‘right’ and ‘best’ employees for your business is one of the most challenging tasks facing almost every company out there in the market. The recent and ongoing positive upturn in the Cyprus economy has meant that the employment landscape has changed dramatically, with demand outstripping supply in many sectors over the last 12 months. What this means is that employers need to go to greater lengths in order to attract the most suitable and well-qualified applicants for their open vacancies and secure the best possible talent – employer branding has suddenly become mission critical!

Developing and nurturing a positive and stimulating working environment and culture is of paramount importance in today’s highly competitive employment market. Strong and well-qualified applicants often have a choice of employment opportunities and as a result, developing a healthy and vibrant company culture is essential if you wish to attract and hold on to the very best talent available in the market. This means investing in your employees by offering them opportunities for professional and personal development and making that clear from the time of recruitment.

Social media and your website presence are the first ‘stops’ any prospective employee will turn to in order to gain an understanding of your company. It is only natural that social media is a great place to start with the promotion of your company’s culture. You should have an active social media presence showcasing the benefits of working in a company like yours on all relevant networks (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook etc). Encourage your employees to promote company news and happenings via their personal networks as well.
 

Your website not only should be accomplishing your customer centric business goals but should also be supporting you in showcasing what employees can get from working there. Areas you could be focusing on are opportunities for personal growth, work environment and ‘esprit de corps’. Whether or not you present your team members on your site, can be a strong message to someone as to how much employees are valued at your company.

Allowing potential candidates an inside look at your work environment and culture helps develop your employer branding and weed out applicants who are not a good fit. Keep in mind, Cyprus is a very small place, so a great company will be heard about far and wide and likewise a company with a poor reputation will be avoided at all costs by top-tier candidates.

Make sure you put together a detailed and realistic job description for the vacancy you are seeking to recruit for. Your advert should tell prospective employees what to expect from the job, both for the short-term and the long-term. It should also inform candidates what they will be able to achieve, what skills they will need and what skills they will have the opportunity to develop, and it should discuss compensation and benefits; at least in general terms.

When inviting applicants for interview at your office premises, make sure that the experience they have is a professional and positive one. Try where possible to make interviews a ‘two-way-street’ with applicants, allowing them the opportunity to ask questions about the position, prospects and company. Don’t forget that as the employer you need to ‘sell’ yourself as well as the applicant, as after all, it is likely that a great candidate will have more than one company to choose from. Offer applicants tangible examples of people who have joined and flourished within your company. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, be who you want to attract. John C. Maxwell’s ninth Law of Leadership, the Law of Magnetism states, “Who you are is who you attract”.  If you want to attract better people, become the kind of person you desire to attract.” If you find that the “wrong” people are attracted to your company, examine yourself first.

In today’s job market in Cyprus, the best candidates have their choice of where to work. They’re interviewing companies just like you are interviewing candidates; and they’re looking for a place they feel like they “fit”.

Should you need to discuss further how you can make your company more attractive to the right candidates for your openings, we are here to help. CareerFinders, with offices in both Nicosia and Limassol, are the leaders in the field of recruiting in Cyprus and we can assist you every step of the way in your efforts to bring in the right talent for your company.