According to Roberta Matuson, author of Talent Magnetism, attraction trumps recruitment time and time again.   How much further could your organization get, if top people were flocking to you for work?

Every business journal or HR blogger will tell you that when it comes to your talent; the expression “Quality over Quantity” always applies.  Doing more with less is the order of the day; you want your efforts to be truly potent.  With that in mind, it’s important that organizations take the time to really research and review their target candidate profiles to focus candidate outreach.

Consider your Demographics

Your candidate base may be multi-generational, ethnically diverse, and geographically spread out.  Not every person will respond to all aspects of your EVP.  Reviewing the talent needs for your critical positions and identifying the different target candidate groups is an important part of maximizing your Brand Impact.  Speaking to the distinct needs of each demographic strengthens the EVP messaging for that target group.

What do they think about you?

How do your target candidates see your culture?  Invest in your market research.  Work with an organization, that specializes in employer branding, and branding-focused research, to ensure you are getting a complete and unbiased understanding of how your audience perceives your company.  Social media allows a candidate to form a first impression of you and your organization very quickly.  It’s important to understand your image so you can build on the positive, accurate pieces and neutralize the negative.

What makes you different?

What is it that your potential candidates see in your company that is different from the next guy?   Developing your EVP involves really digging in to find out how your current employee base believes your organization is unique.  It’s important to extend that research to your candidates.  Find out what your target candidates think differentiates your organization, so you can create a truly compelling reason for them to join your company.

Can you offer what they’re looking for?

Recently, a group of top executive search consultants were surveyed to find out what their candidates look for in opportunities.  It boiled down to a combination of company, opportunity and compensation.  Those candidates who are looking to fast track, may value development opportunities or resume-building experience at a great company.  Candidates who are further along in their professional careers may want to avoid risk.

According to a 2012 Global study completed by Successfactors:

• 42% of Millenials wanted mentors
• 82% of all employees asked for more benefits
• 39% of Gen X job hunters asked for more money

Top talent is looking for more than a paycheck from their next job – you knew that; but have you taken the time to delve into what your target candidates really want?  Plan your attraction strategy to speak to those aspects of your EVP that will resonate with your audience and communicate what value your company can provide to potential employees.