The War for Talent Rages On

Attracting and retaining top talent is more difficult than ever before. Low unemployment and the growing number of Millennials in the workforce is changing the game for many employers. Companies that don't understand and address the new normal will lose the war for talent, hands down.

Employees today operate more like free agents who can hold out for the highest bidder—and the best offer might be about more than just compensation. And while prospective employees seem to have a plethora of options, your path to replacing an employee who quits or is fired is getting a lot more difficult.

So how can you get the best talent to join (and stay at) your organization?

The war for talent is tougher than ever.

Any company that is truly interested in recruiting, onboarding and retaining quality employees must understand that they need to market their company to job applicants, not the other way around. You need to tell a strong, compelling story that reflects the kind of talent you want to attract and entices them to come aboard.

Another challenge: modern employees want their employers to see them as partners. In order to improve retention, employees need to see that you have shared goals and that they have opportunities to achieve and do more. Employers must give employees space to assimilate into the organization and accelerate their accomplishments. If you provide a path for employees to advance their own skillsets while contributing to the organization's success, they are more likely to commit to you for the long-term.

Lasting lessons for the real world.

After speaking with HR leaders at this summer's SHRM conference, I can confirm that the theoretical war for talent described by Forbes is very real. Manufacturing and skilled trades have always had trouble with attraction and retention, but these people problems now affect all kinds of businesses.

A HR professional from a manufacturing company recently shared with me that her company was struggling to find talent. In addition, they were struggling to get their current employees to come to work at all! She indicated that 2015 had been the worst year ever for turnover with no improvement in sight.

One solution to her problem is to tell a better story! A manufacturing operation exposes employees to cutting-edge technology and is likely one of the cleanest, safest environments around. Her company must better define itself as an employer by telling existing and prospective employees exactly what success looks like and make clear what it takes to get there. Employees must know they are valued and that they have the opportunity to grow their skills and evolve into leadership positions.

Tell your story, and live it!

Take a look at how we tell HNI's story to future candidates. Click on the Rocket Ship below to get to our careers page. Then click on one of our open positions to see how we frame up each role, its responsibilities, and the endless possibilities for growth!