The Secrets of Recruiting and Motivating Talent

Do employees want fun, work-life balance, a pleasant office environment, or a boss with an iron will? The exact formula for a truly motivated team remains elusive, but new research out yesterday from consulting firm Watson Wyatt suggests managers add another ingredient: clarity.

The survey of over 14,000 employees across Europe found that the most important factor for employee motivation was a clear sense of the company’s strategic direction. Andrew Cocks, a senior consultant at the firm, explains: “Business leaders who articulate the business strategy give employees a clear ‘line of sight’ to how they can best contribute to the performance of their company, but the benefit goes beyond this. It helps to build trust in the company and its management and creates a positive environment where all employees have well understood shared goals.”

If clarity is key for engaging and motivating employees, your company’s brand may be the biggest factor in recruiting them in the first place. Irish branding strategist, Krishna De, uses recent research from Jobs.as.uk as a jumping off point for a blog post on the topic. The research found that 86 percent of job seekers rate the strength of a potential employer’s brand as an important factor when considering whether to apply.

Krishna De comments: Think about it - can you remember a time when an executive search firm or recruitment consultant contacted you about what sounded like a great opportunity, but your heart sank when you heard what the company was?… You already had a mental and emotional picture of what that company stood for - both in terms of their reputation and their employer brand. It doesn’t matter how you came to your conclusion or if it was correct - you came to a conclusion.

She goes on to suggest that companies who are facing difficulties recruiting, start by doing a little research as to what potential candidates think of their employer brand. Listen carefully, even if you hear some less than positive things. What can we conclude if we put the two studies together? Employer brand is key for attracting talent. Clarity of vision is necessary to keep them engaged. By Jessica Stillman