Tips for Recruiting/Retaining Top Talent

We can all identify with the struggle to locate, contact and engage top talent for your critical hiring needs. You are not alone. What are you doing to stand apart from your competitors in the attraction of quality candidates? We have provided a brief checklist to compare against standard performance.


Which category best defines your turnover percentage?

Annual Turnover Rate Grade Description
5-13% A Do not change a thing, you look marvelous.
14-18% B Might just be an isolated problem with a manager or two
19-24% C Average. Is this how you consider your company? Guess who else does, THE ONES WHO ARE LEAVING
25-30% D Have you considered issuing nametags?
31%+ F Call the handyman, you will soon need to replace the hinges on the back door.

Tips for Recruiting/Retaining Top TalentRECRUITMENT

  1. How involved is the President, C-Suite team in the marketing of your core values in attracting top talent?
  2. Do you believe that money solves all recruitment / retention issues?
  3. Do you hire based on need or opportunity to attract industry expertise?
  4. How do you identify passions within potential candidates?
  5. Is the search firm you’ve retained, viewed as a partner and external reflection of firm?
  6. Is the search firm you’ve retained, willing to tell you fact from fiction?


  1. Are you training your replacement?
  2. The last time you did something unique for your super star was…?
  3. Are exit interviews standard procedure?
  4. Are your employees equipped to perform the role you have asked of them?
  5. Can your employees recite company core values while driving their car?

“Executives often ask, “How do we get people to share our core ideology?” You don’t. You can’t! Instead, the task is to find people who already have a predisposition to share your core values and purpose, attract and retain these people, and let those who aren’t disposed to share your core values go elsewhere.”

“Core competence is a strategic concept that captures your organization’s capabilities – what you are particularly good at – whereas core ideology captures what you stand for and why you exist.”

Quotes taken from Built To Last James Collins & Jerry Porras