Attracting top talent - living up to the hype

Many of my clients come to me as they wish to leave their current employer and move to one that meets their needs. This is usually as they feel disenfranchised with their current employer or reporting line.  The cause of this can usually be put down to a lack of feeling valued - they are not listened to or, even more importantly, not heard. So, having reached a decision to leave and start the process of looking for the next opportunity, what makes a potential employer attractive? Is it the snazzy straplines? Is it the overall brand and status in their sector? Or is it the culture of the organisation, the intangible hard to assess from outside looking in, the benchmark that makes a good company a great one?

There are various ways to gauge whether you are making the right decision based on the right fit for you, LinkedIn being one of them. In most cases, you can see who is employed and how long they have been with the organisation - a sure indicator. A high turnover of staff sends a strong message.

There are numerous websites that allow employees to post their comments and thoughts of organisations they have worked for. Your own personal network - ask for thoughts / feedback from friends, friends of friends. past colleagues etc.

As important as all the above is, your own experience through the interview process will help you decide. Whilst acknowledging it can be difficult. If everything is conducted in the virtual world it is much harder to assess body language etc, so, if possible, face-to-face is always best. However, there are some strong indicators that can help:

• Was the Interviewer on time?

• Were they flexible regarding your time and availability?

• Did they make you feel at ease?

• Were you comfortable with them?

• Were they prepared with appropriate questions?

• Did they sound genuine rather than talking in soundbites?

If in doubt, go with your gut reaction – the inner voice is always worth listening to.