Attracting Top Talent in Agriculture

• July 23, 2024
• Newsletter Article

Ready to take your recruitment game to the next level? Our latest guide offers five expert tips to help you attract top talent. Discover why having a recruitment strategy can make a difference and how to identify underappreciated stars.

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5 Tips for Attracting Top Talent

 

1. Hire Higher! 

People that come in contact with your staff notice the level of your talent – customers, vendors, etc. I’ve learned over the years that quality talent desires to be a part of a winning team. Quality talent will attract top talent. Open positions create an opportunity to add talent/skills that does not exist with the team or organization. Settling for a “warm body” is very short-sighted and will likely cost you $$!

 
2. Always be on the lookout for under-appreciated star: 

During my travels attending tradeshows and other industry events, I always have my radar on for underappreciated talent.

 

3.Be mindful of who you promote:

Who you promote or give internal growth opportunities to says a great deal about how you view and appreciate talent. Promoting people that will “keep a thumb” and limit professional growth for staff is unhealthy.

 

4. Have a Compelling Recruitment Strategy: 

Job titles and job descriptions can make or break the talent attraction efforts. Below are 2 very different excerpts from job descriptions:
 
Poor:
 
Software Engineer with 10 years of experience in a Java-centric software development environment. Must exhibit both innovative thinking, ability to work in a team and leadership skills, preferably in the research and development of medical devices.
 
Better:
 
This job is all about building software that helps doctors heal people and save lives.  You’ll be part of a creative team that designs and implements the software that runs some of the most advanced medical devices on the planet. You will be making a big difference to the lives of many people.

 

5. Move quickly when you find the right person:

Once you have identified the right candidate, don’t waste time with unnecessary delays. More often than not, top talent will have little patience for unexplainable delays when it comes to the hiring process and final offer.

 

Attracting top talent should become a habit, especially if you intend for your team or organization to be the best of the best. It will also have a huge impact on the brand of your goods or services! For those of you that are thinking “wait a minute, if I hire talent that knows more than me, I’ll be left behind.” Just give it a try and let me know how you feel one year after the fact!