Key Takeaways
- The best strategies to attract the best employees are: candidate persona, referral program, employer branding, outreach, and recruitment tech.
- Clear branding, transparency, and quick hiring make companies more attractive to top talent.
- Betternship helps by connecting businesses with vetted African professionals.
Recruitment strategies to attract the best employees
Hiring the right person takes a lot more than posting a job ad.
You spend time writing the vacancy, reviewing resumes, running interviews, and then onboarding and training new staff. If you make the wrong hire, the cost doubles because you have to start all over again.
This challenge exists whether you’re building an in-office team, hiring remote workers, or managing a global workforce.
That’s why every company needs clear recruitment strategies to attract the best employees. The clearer and more practical your approach, the faster you’ll find the right people and the less money you’ll waste.
Here are some strategies you can use to make recruitment easier and more effective.
1. Develop a candidate persona
A candidate persona is a simple profile of your ideal hire. Think of it like a description of the type of person who would succeed in the role.
It includes things like:
- Their education or technical training
- Skills and tools they know
- The kind of work experience they should already have
- Soft skills (for example: teamwork, problem solving, adaptability)
- Career goals or interests that align with your company
Why this helps: If you know exactly who you’re looking for, you’ll spend less time sorting through unqualified applications. You’ll also write job ads that speak directly to the right people.
How to create one:
- Look at your best employees. What do they have in common?
- Talk to them. Ask why they joined, what motivates them, and how they like to work.
- Check job boards to see what other companies ask for in similar roles.
Example:
Let’s say you’re hiring a front-end developer. Instead of just writing “must know React,” your persona might say:
- Knows React and Tailwind
- Has 3+ years working on SaaS projects
- Likes working in small, fast-moving teams
- Comfortable collaborating remotely
Now, when you write your job ad, you’ll be clearer about what matters. And when you screen applications, you’ll know what to focus on.
With Betternship, you can go one step further. We already have candidate profiles with skills, experience, and project history.
That means you start with a shortlist that matches your persona, instead of searching blindly.
2. Create an employee referral program
Referrals mean asking your current employees to recommend people they know for open roles. This works because your team already understands the culture and the kind of people who succeed in your company.
They’re less likely to refer someone who won’t fit.
Why this helps:
- Referred candidates often get hired faster because there’s already some trust.
- They tend to stay longer, which reduces turnover.
- It’s cheaper than relying only on job ads.
How to set up a referral program:
- Decide which roles qualify. Referrals work best for specialist or senior positions, or jobs that are hard to fill.
- Make it simple. Have one clear way for employees to submit referrals. It could be a shared email ([email protected]) or a form on your HR software.
- Reward participation. Offer bonuses, extra time off, or public recognition when a referral leads to a hire.
- Promote it. Remind your team regularly about open roles and encourage them to share with their networks.
- Track results. Measure how many hires come from referrals and whether they perform well over time.
Example:
If you’re hiring a data analyst, one of your current analysts might know someone from a past job who’s looking. Instead of posting on five job boards and waiting, you get a strong lead right away.
3. Strengthen your employer branding
Employer branding is how candidates see your company as a workplace. It’s shaped by what’s on your careers page, your job ads, your social media presence, and how you treat applicants during the hiring process.
Why it matters: The best employees often have multiple offers. They will choose the employer that clearly shows growth opportunities, fair pay, respect for work-life balance, and a healthy culture.
What you can do right away:
- Write your Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Spell out what makes your company attractive: salary ranges, benefits, growth paths, flexibility, and learning opportunities.
- Update your careers page. Include your mission, team photos, EVP highlights, and a simple “what to expect” section for the hiring process.
- Standardize your job ads. Use a clear structure: role impact, must-have skills, benefits, and hiring steps. Candidates value transparency.
- Show real people. Share employee spotlights on LinkedIn or your blog. Highlight what they work on, what they’ve learned, and why they enjoy being part of your team.
- Respect candidates’ time. Reply quickly after each stage and keep assessments short and practical.
Example:
Two companies advertise similar roles for a software engineer.
One only says “competitive pay, dynamic culture.” The other lists a salary range, explains the interview process, and shares a blog post where an engineer talks about their projects.
The second company will attract stronger applicants every time.
4. Expand your outreach strategies
Great candidates don’t all spend time in the same places. Some are active on LinkedIn, others in niche communities like GitHub, Dribbble, or Kaggle.
Some check general job boards, while others rely on referrals and networks.
So, if you rely on just one source, you limit your chances of finding the right person. Expanding outreach increases your visibility across different talent pools.
How to broaden your reach:
- Diversify platforms. Post on LinkedIn, specialized job boards, and use vetted hiring platforms like Betternship.
- Connect with universities. Internships and graduate programs help you build future pipelines.
- Engage in professional communities. Participate in Slack groups, forums, or online events related to your industry.
- Network at events. Hackathons, webinars, or conferences are good ways to spot motivated professionals.
Example:
If you’re hiring a designer, posting only on LinkedIn might get some applicants. But adding Dribbble or Behance will reach professionals who are actively showcasing their portfolios.
5. Use smart recruitment technology
Recruiting can feel overwhelming because of all the repetitive tasks: screening resumes, scheduling interviews, and sending follow-ups.
Technology can automate much of this, freeing up your time to focus on evaluating candidates and building relationships.
How recruitment tech makes hiring easier:
- Job ads: Automated tools target the right people so you don’t waste money on irrelevant clicks.
- Interview scheduling: Candidates book their own slots from your availability.
- Pre-screening: Resume scanners or skill tests help you quickly identify the most qualified applicants.
- Applicant tracking: A central dashboard organizes applicants and tracks progress.
Example:
Instead of manually reviewing 300 resumes for a data analyst role, you use a pre-screening tool that highlights the top 30. This saves hours and improves decision-making.
Conclusion
Hiring can be costly and time-consuming if your process is unclear. But with the right recruitment strategies to attract the best employees, you can build strong teams faster and with less stress.
- Define candidate personas.
- Encourage employee referrals.
- Strengthen your employer branding.
- Expand outreach strategies.
- Use smart recruitment technology.
Betternship makes these strategies easier to apply by connecting you with skilled, vetted African professionals.
Ready to make your next great hire?
FAQs on Strategies to Attract the Best Employees
- What strategies work best for attracting top talent?
The most effective tactics are clear.
Build a strong employer brand, create transparent job ads, offer real growth opportunities, use employee referrals, and invest in smart recruiting tech like applicant tracking and automated outreach.
- How can employer branding help attract better hires?
Strong employer branding communicates your values, company culture, and how you treat your people. It answers the unspoken question applicants ask themselves: “Would I fit in and grow here?”
Companies with visible, authentic EVP outperform competitors when hiring.
- What perks or benefits really attract high-quality candidates?
Top talent cares about more than salary. Flexible work schedules, learning and development support, and well-thought-out perks like health cover or work-from-home budgets often make a bigger impact.
Harshly generic perks, like “ping-pong tables”, don’t cut it anymore.
- How do referrals help in attracting the best employees?
Referrals come with built-in trust. Your team already knows the type of people who will gel with your culture. This shortcut improves hire quality, reduces turnover, and speeds up the process.
- Should we use technology to hire better?
Absolutely. Tools that automate resume screening, scheduling, and ad targeting free up time, so you can focus on connecting with high-potential candidates rather than chasing paperwork.
Get started with Betternship today!