Most companies already understand the importance of making a business attractive to prospective employees, however many don't often think about making their leaders more attractive prey.
Our industries are seeing a paradigm shift. It used to be that top talent were the prey, being headhunted by companies. Now, we are seeing a shift in the balance of power where top talent are hunting the managers and leaders they wish to work for. In a recent poll of our candidates, 60% said they would consider taking a pay cut in order to work for an inspiring leader.
Just as a business might check the LinkedIn profile of a prospective employee, talent are checking the LinkedIn profiles of senior executives within the businesses they are hunting. They’re looking for a credible work history, strong thought leadership and to see how effectively leaders communicate within their industry.
Have you thought about how attractive you or your senior team are to potential employees?
Here are our tips on becoming more attractive prey to prospective employees:
Invest in properly optimising the online profiles of your leadership team, paying particular attention to LinkedIn. A professional looking photo and biography can go a long way to demonstrate the consistency and quality of the people in your company. Showing their work history gives depth and credibility to their seniority.
Consider how your executive team can demonstrate their knowledge and expertise externally. Having them regularly write for the company blog is an effective way of showcasing their thought leadership.
Ensure your leadership team are prolific on social media. They should be active in LinkedIn forums and other forms of social networking in order to express their expert opinions on industry related topics, thus reinforcing their wealth of experience and knowledge.
If you've ever wondered why you haven't been able to attract the right talent to a vacant role in your business, perhaps it's time to take inventory on how your business' executive leadership team is presented to the market.