Owners or executives at some companies know that their company is a great place to work but still have problems finding top talent to fill their positions. Why? The simple answer is that finding top talent is a fierce and competitive process. Similar to how job hunting is fierce and competitive from a job-seeker’s perspective, companies that want to find the best people have found it’s easier said than done; partly because all companies are doing it. Think about it, what company goes out and actively wants to hire a mediocre or sub-par employee for any position? No company wants to do that, at least not one that will be in existence for an extended period of time. If you are a business owner or HR executive though, you are lucky you found this article. Below are some easy ways to increase the chances of finding top talent.

The digital age is upon us and everyone knows it, but you would be surprised how many companies still haven’t thought through all of the implications of that are. Sure, almost all businesses have a website by now, but if that’s the extent of how much your company care’s about its image online, you could be in big trouble. Surveys and polls show that the majority of job-seekers, especially top talent, check out employer review/feedback sites prior to making career decisions. Unfortunately the time-tested rule is still largely true that bad word of mouth can spread like wildfire; online is no different. A representative from your company should respond on the company’s behalf to any negative reviews out there.

Another way to find top talent is to attract top talent to your organization by figuring out what makes your organization unique and getting the word out there to recruiters and key social contacts within your industry. Ask some of your current top performers what they like most about the company or what is the #1 reason they come to work in the morning. This information is also important to have incorporated into your hiring/promotional materials as well as the company website.

In this day and age salary isn’t everything to everyone, but as the saying goes, cash is still king. One of the worst things to start getting circulated about your company, internally or externally, is that it underpays or undervalues its employees. Have your HR department regularly keep track of what the market is paying employees, from researching what competitors within your field are paying to hiring 3rd party firms to conduct pay studies. Key figures within the company should also keep a close eye on exit surveys for frequent reason for employees leaving being “salary/pay.”