Stop Trying to Attract Everyone: The Best Hiring Strategy Repels People, Too

Even in an employer-friendly job market, finding the right candidates can be difficult. The instinct of many founders and executives is to increase the number of applicants.

More job boards. More recruiters. More advertising. More sourcing.

But more applicants may only produce more people who aren’t right for your organization. You haven’t solved the talent problem. You’ve created a resource problem.

The “right” candidates have both the skills and capabilities for the role and are likely to thrive in your organization’s specific environment. The best talent attraction strategy does two things: attracts the right candidates and repels those who are unlikely to thrive.

“Great place to work” isn’t universal

Not every workplace is right for every person.

Consider two registered nurses with similar education and experience. One thrives in a fast-paced emergency room with unpredictable days and constant change. Another prefers the predictable schedule and longer-term patient relationships of a doctor’s office.

Neither environment is inherently better. Each is better for a different person.

The same is true for your organization. If your environment is chaotic, high-energy, and light on structure, some people will be energized by it. Others will run for the hills with their noise-canceling headphones.

You want both reactions.

Your goal isn’t universal appeal. It’s to accurately and authentically communicate what working at your organization is like so candidates can decide whether they belong there.

Don’t market what executives think candidates want

One of the biggest mistakes I see is executives highlighting the benefits and opportunities they value, rather than what candidates find most attractive.

When I led recruiting for NVR, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, executives believed autonomy was a primary reason entry-level candidates joined. Every recruiting message, advertisement, presentation, and video highlighted it.

Then I talked to recent hires.

They consistently told us something different: Our comprehensive training programs were a bigger attraction. Training gave them the confidence to perform well in a role with significant autonomy.

One recent hire told me that our emphasis on autonomy almost scared her away. An alum from her university reassured her that the training program would equip her with the knowledge and skills she needed to succeed. That recent hire went on to be a sales Rookie of the Year.

We changed our recruitment messaging.

The executives weren’t wrong about the job. They were wrong about what made the job attractive to the people we wanted to hire.

Give the wrong people permission to opt out

Once you know why people are attracted to your opportunities and what makes you unique, don’t sanitize it.

If priorities change frequently, projects get canceled, new technology is regularly adopted, salaries are above market rates, and everyone has at least one extra “side job,” own it.

If people have enormous autonomy, budgets to figure it out on their own, limited administrative support, flexible hours, and difficult stretch goals, let it be known.

Those realities aren’t inherently positive or negative. They’re simply part of working for you.

Some qualified candidates may decide not to apply.

Good.

If they can’t envision themselves thriving in your environment, their decision saves recruiters from screening them, managers from interviewing them, and your company from potentially hiring, and later replacing, the wrong person.

What entrepreneurs should do differently

You don’t need a sophisticated marketing campaign to start. Answer three questions:

1. Who are we specifically trying to attract?
2. What do those people value about a work environment that we authentically offer?
3. What are we willing to share about working here that might make the wrong candidate say, “No thanks”?

Then audit your website, recruiter messages, job postings, and social media. Do they speak directly to those people and accurately describe the experience of working on your team?

Optimize for fit, not popularity

As your company grows, you won’t be able to personally prevent every poor-fit hire. Your talent attraction strategy needs to do some of that work for you.

The strongest recruitment messages don’t make everyone want to work for you. They make the right people think, “That is exactly where I want to be,” and give everyone else good reasons to walk away.

Related articles by Kara Yarnot:

Four Talent Systems Every Growing Business Needs (Before You Need More People)

Stop Hiring for Culture Fit and Start Hiring for Scale