Leverage firm's advantages to attract brightest talent

Some of the best career opportunities in the market today exist in small to mid-sized privately held organizations. Yet when top candidates begin looking for that next career move, they often bypass organizations that they've not heard of for those companies that have a "brand" image as an employer of choice.

Ironically, just because well known companies are well known, doesn't mean that they always have the best jobs. Still, it is tough to compete for attention with headline grabbing organizations. What is a "quiet company to do"?

There are many techniques I've seen work very effectively for drawing top talent in to lesser known organizations but there is one company that I've had occasion to work with that uses some of the best techniques I've seen.

"Netco" is a privately held service organization which provides Internet enabled administrative solutions to the Human Resources departments of large organizations. Netco employs 750 people in 40 locations throughout the United States. With an annual growth rate of 50-60% per year with no signs of slowing down, Netco is constantly in need of additional talent. Some of the most critical positions include members of the application software design team, marketing and business development experts and strong accounting managers.

Netco, from its earliest days has made hiring top talent a strategic priority for the company and attributes their current success and growth to their recruiting model. Netco has been able to consistently attract people away from large well known organizations. When in competition for a candidate with a larger firm, they usually win the day. Here are some of the ways they do this:

• Sourcing talent is everyone's job.

  There is an expectation that people on the Netco team will continually network for potential in the marketplace and introduce individuals to the organization, even if it is in advance of a specific need.

• Developing and maintaining a relationship with potential hires.

  Netco maintains communications with potential hires to keep them engaged in what is happening at Netco so that once there is a need, the candidates are very interested and have already "bonded" with Netco people. The on-going engagement takes many forms, from including candidates in the mailing of company newsletters to informal meeting for coffee every few months with key hiring managers.

• Moving quickly when the time is right.

  Netco had been courting one candidate in anticipation of a need for someone to head up a developing service function. This same candidate was speaking with a well known and highly thought of large, public company. Once Netco had the opening they moved quickly to bring the candidate in, introduce him to all the key players, including the company President, and crafted an offer. In the meantime, the "more attractive" company labored through its procedural bureaucracy. Guess who "sold" the candidate best... Netco.

• Promoting the company formally and informally.

  When Netco issues press releases about its newest customers or latest service innovations, it words the release to meet a dual purpose: Engage and attract new customers; engage and attract new employees. There is not a PR or promotional opportunity that does not go past the President and VP HR's desk to ensure there is a strong positioning of the message to prospective employees.

  Talking up the company is common among all levels of Netco personnel. Whether people are at family gatherings, neighborhood picnics or on a plane, Netco becomes a topic of discussion. People are primed and trained on the three guiding principals of Netco that should always be communicated... and constantly reminded that one never knows when one may be speaking to a prospective customer or employee.

While Netco's strategy for attracting and competing for top talent looks simple in concept, it takes an enormous amount of discipline to keep these activities on the top of everyone's priority list. Netco may not be a big public company with its name constantly in the news, but it consciously makes the most of what it has to offer and goes with gusto after the competition for talent.

Being a "quiet company" has its advantages. As Netco shows time and again, those advantages can and should be leveraged to attract the best and brightest to their organization.

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