Think of your office as a brand beacon, the shining light that attracts top performers to your organization.

 

Attracting new talent is just as competitive as the rivalry for clients. Some may argue that the talent war is even more competitive as hiring teams discover there is indeed a bottom to the talent pool – a finite amount of candidates that have the experience, skill set, and talent to elevate your company, while fitting into a culture, budget, and time frame. 

I use ‘fitness center’ as a representation of the overall office environment. Think of your office as a brand beacon, the shining light that attracts top performers to your organization (note, if your first thought when reading this statement was “like a moth to a flame” then you may want to take a look at your own company culture…). It’s no coincidence that high-tech companies warring for high-tech talent were one of the first to put an emphasis on the office environment as part of a hiring strategy. You certainly don’t need to put a ping pong table in your lobby, but you do need to ensure your office space is contributing to, and not detracting from, your employer brand. 

A few insights on setting the candidate experience:

• Promote office amenities in your recruitment video. Employees talking about perks like an AV-enhanced fitness center is good. Showing that AV-enhanced fitness center in use is much more compelling.

• Demonstrate workplace technology tools during the candidate’s interview. Interactive collaboration board? Give them a run through. Desktop conferencing? Video with one of your remote employees, especially if the candidate is also interested in working remote. It’s beneficial to show a candidate that they have access to contemporary tools that will no doubt contribute to their success.

• Focus the office-tour on work styles. Huddle space for ad-hoc collaboration, conference room for scheduled meetings, lounge for socializing, and training room for, well, training. The diversity of spaces sends a message that your organization offers environments relevant to preferred work styles, and not one-size-fits-all.

• Show candidates that you take your brand seriously – and so should they. A lobby video wall with dynamic content about your company and history leaves a lasting impression over static artwork. It also demonstrates an investment in the company brand, and ultimately in the candidate as part of that brand.

 

Similar to delivering an exceptional client experience, organizations must also deliver an exceptional employee experience. BTW, when done right, the latter produces the former.

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