As the economy continues an upward trajectory, it's becoming harder for some employers to secure top-end employees. While there's only so much you can do in terms of salary, there are options for those who want to become top choice employers. These options emphasize working with what your business already has and seeking out creative solutions that are more likely to attract good employees. Most of what can be done truly requires a business to look at its current assets and figure out why their place of work should attract the best of the best.

Be Accurate and Honest

Perhaps the most important thing you can do for a potential hire is to be honest. Don't deny your company's flaws if asked directly, be up-front about issues like salary and benefits. The most valuable employees have already done their research and they know when you're obfuscating. Be honest about what the position you are hiring for entails, how the employee will be compensated and what his or her work/life balance is expected to be like. Failure to do this might get you the employee for a few months, but you won't get a long-term member of your team.

Know What Makes You Stand Out

One of the most effective strategies for attracting the best employees is to stand out from the competition. To do this, you'll need to know what makes your company different and sell your potential employees on these factors. Get out into the field and look at what your competition is doing and figure out what you do better. Once you've done this, you can make your differences an important part of your sales pitch to an ideal employee. The more you know, the more you will be able to make your own business stand out.

Look at the Whole Compensation Package

Your offer to an employee should emphasize your entire compensation package, not just the salary offer. While your salary should always be competitive, you can likely offer more to an employee through strategically chosen benefits. If your business has great health insurance, be sure to use that factor to your advantage. If you offer chances to travel, work from home options, or even team-building opportunities, be sure to highlight those facts. Some companies even offer bi-annual teeth whitening to their employees. Anything that makes your company more attractive will make it easier for you to win over applicants who have likely been dealing with similar salary offers from several companies.

Offer Perks That No One Else Offers

If you can't match the salary or benefits packages of other companies, try to offer perks that no one else can match. Talk to local to try to get a price break on rent costs for employees of your firm, or work with an insurance broker to get a discount when your employees are looking at insurance quotes. If you put together a unique benefits package, some employees may find your company more appealing. While money generally talks, it's important offer alternatives.

Stress Upwards Mobility

Star employees don't want to be stuck doing the same thing year after year, according to. When you're looking to attract that perfect employee, stress the fact that there will be opportunities to move up. If the employee is already sitting near the top of the org chart, talk about how there will be opportunities to learn and improve his or her skills. Employees want to know that there is a future with your company, and thus must be assured that opportunities will be available in the future.

If you want great employees, you need to be a great company. Offer good benefits, a competitive salary, and make sure your business stands out. If you can craft a company with the reputation for those factors, you should be able to attract the kind of employees that will make your business even more successful.