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3. Losing talent as quickly as you find it? Understand why. You can be great at attracting and hiring
talent, but it all goes to waste if you can’t keep it. The first few months after hiring are critical. Half or
more new employees quit within the first seven months. The major reasons people quit are because
they feel isolated socially, left out of the stream of information, or stuck in depressing working
conditions. Get in the habit of conducting exit interviews. They’ll help you understand what’s causing
people to leave. Find out specifically what they liked and disliked about the job and the organization.
People tend to be more honest in providing their feedback when they are leaving the organization.
You might discover some common themes. An exit interview is a chance to show that you value the
individual and their opinion. A chance to leave a positive impression. When you understand what’s
causing your talent to leave, you can work on fixing the problem. Establish a better employee value
proposition and do a better job in attracting and retaining the right talent.

4. Can’t seem to attract talent? Work on your brand image and reputation. Research shows that
employers with a positive brand image and reputation attract more potential hires than those who
don’t. Thus allowing them to be more selective on top talent. Not only that, it shows that having a
positive reputation can influence applicant behavior. Cable and Turban (2003) demonstrated that
participants would accept a 7% smaller salary as a result of joining an employer with a highly
favorable reputation. Build your brand identity. Make it clear what you stand for. Tell a compelling
story that brings to life what it would be like to work for you. Showcase what’s on offer (compensation
structures, benefits, promotion opportunities, etc.). Promote your employee value proposition (EVP).
This is the value or benefit an employee can expect to feel as a member of the organization. Invite
employees to share their stories; help get the word out. Nothing is more captivating than real
experiences. Use internal and external professional media to promote your brand. Received any
recognition or awards relating to your employee proposition? Tell people. Working in a global
context? Pay attention to cultural difference. Do all that you can to capture the attention of
prospective candidates. Hold their interest long enough for them to want to take action, want to come
and work with you.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…

James, G. (2013, October 22). Hiring: 6 Secrets to attracting top talent. Inc.
Tjan, A. K. (2011, February 9). Three ways to recognize a talent magnet. Harvard Business Review
Blog Network.
Weiss, T. (2008, March 25). Exit right. Forbes.

5. Hiring people like you? Seek diversity. Clone yourself too much? Have a preference for people
who think and act as you do? Believe you’ll communicate more effectively? Have a better working
relationship? Maybe so, but it can be dangerous to place too much value on certain characteristics.
They’ll become the first thing you look for when evaluating others’ talent potential. And that means
you’re likely to make marginal people decisions. You could be ignoring weaknesses and downsides.
At worst, you could be excluding people because they’re different. In the extreme, this could be
discriminatory, which could result in legal trouble. It’s a common human tendency to want to clone
yourself. But, long-term, in most organizations, variety and diversity almost always outperform clones.
Those not like you may seem to be missing something. The reality is that they probably have
something you need. Actively look for positive difference in others. Consciously create a team of
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