3 Great Ways to Invest in Talent

Few things can make or break a company more effectively than its staff. Finding (and keeping) top talent can help your business progress, grow, and stay profitable.

Of course, that’s easier said than done, right? The truth is, you can’t just hire anyone who applies for a job and expect them to be your dream employee. Similarly, you can’t ignore the people you do have and expect them to develop their skills and realize their full potential.

The reality is: you need to invest in talent. But what does that look like? We’ve got three great ways to invest in your talent that will help keep your company staffed with the right people.

Use a Staffing Agency

A staffing agency can be an investment, but it’s a worthy one.

If nothing is more important than hiring great people, a staffing agency is your best bet for finding someone who is highly qualified, who fits your parameters in terms of education, training, and salary, and who is a culture fit for your organization.

Staffing agencies have access to databases that will help them quickly and easily find great candidates for your open positions. Obviously, this saves you time and money during the actual hiring process, but it also saves you time and money down the road.

Turnover is costly in more ways than one, so finding an employee who can do the job right is worth a lot, to any company. A staffing agency can help you avoid turnover by finding a qualified candidate who is a good fit and who is more likely to stick around.

If you want to be proactive about investing in your talent, a staffing agency is the way to go.

Encourage Ongoing Training & Development

Once you have hired great people, you don’t have to invest in talent anymore, right?

Wrong. Continuing to invest in your people is important throughout their entire employment.

This might seem overwhelming, but the reality is, there are plenty of easy ways to invest in your current employees.

Events, like conferences, are a fantastic way to do this. You’ll have to pay the entry fee and maybe even travel fare, but your employees will walk away having received beneficial training and inspiration from industry leaders.

Continuing education is another great option. There are plenty of online courses available that cover a variety of subjects, so it shouldn’t be hard to find one that will help your employees and your company.

Finally, hiring a trainer, motivational speaker, or other professional to come to your office could be a great investment in your talent. This person could talk to your employees individually, apply their teachings to your company specifically, and bring a new perspective to your business. This may not be a cheap option, but it can certainly be a worthwhile investment.

Build the Culture

We talk a lot about culture, for one simple reason: it’s really, really important. Especially in a competitive employment market (like the current tech worker market), employees are looking for companies with a strong, vibrant, and positive culture.

Of course, you can’t just claim to have a culture and be done with it. You have to continually grow and nurture your culture through team-building activities, established disciplinary procedures, regular recognition, and so on. Over-communicating your culture will show your staff how important it is to you, and how vital it is to the success of your company. Investing in your culture, through activities, parties, rewards, and so on, will only reinforce this message.

Building your culture is an investment in your talent because, ultimately, it will help them feel like they are a part of something. It will help them feel valued, recognized, and like they fit in with your company. This will improve job satisfaction and work performance, and leave you with a productive team that is happy to work for you.

Investing in your talent shouldn’t be an afterthought or a box to check. Make thoughtful investments in your people that will benefit not only them but the company as well.