5 Companies That Always Hire Great People

Employees are a valuable asset to any company due to their intrinsic value. Every employer dream is to always hire great people. No one wants a bad hire because of the amount of time and money that's invested in recruiting an employee. Quality and vetting processes becomes even more important as you move up an organizational chart due to the associated risk. No matter what strategies you use to attract employees at some point in time you will need an experienced headhunter. I would like to share with you a few strategies used by the top 5 companies who always have qualified candidates knocking on their door. These companies were chosen by LinkedIn as North America’s Most In-demand Employers in their 2014 survey.

I included Twitter cards that correlate to the value that sticks out with each company.

Google: Known for their great benefits package (includes over 25 items from haircuts to buses to commute) and a rigorous screening process. What stands out is their dedication to making sure employees are happy. Research has shown that employees perform better when there content. Ask yourself what ways can you create a culture that increases employee happiness. The most common stress factors related to work include commuting, co workers, micro management, and working for a company with a bad product or service.

Just led a design sprint with 100 people at Google I/O. Thanks to everyone who participated. You are awesome! pic.twitter.com/r7dBgu6FSO — Braden Kowitz (@kowitz) June 26, 2014

Facebook: Why would anyone want to work for Facebook? Well Wei Yeh had the opportunity to work at both Facebook & Apple. The biggest difference is that Facebook is very transparent with employees and they can see all aspects of the company. At Apple there's a lot of segmentation and communication can be broken between employees. Learn from Apple's mistake; employees want a sense of belonging. Whether that's stock options or actually knowing the companies long term strategies. Wei Yeh was working on an IOS system but didn't know what it was until the day it actually released to the public.

Our 10th birthday only happened because of all your friendships, stories and memories along the way. Thank you. https://t.co/BDtx6VC0D3 — Facebook (@facebook) February 4, 2014

Apple: Known for actually creating markets. They created the personal computer and most recently the iPad which led to the tablet market being formed. Striving for greatness comes with it's cost. Apple product and brand actually creates avid fans who want to work for them, focus on catering to employees passion. Being happy about working for a company is one thing but being passionate and enthusiastic is another. This will really separate you from other companies and will increase productivity in the long run. Here are two reviews from actual Apple employees.

"The pros are that you work with great people with great hours and great benefits"

"You get to meet a lot of great people since you are always in the public eye"

Congratulations to this amazing team at the new Apple Store Puerta del Sol in Madrid. Our 101st store in Europe! pic.twitter.com/QFr0GNV9FS — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 23, 2014

Amazon: This company made the list due to there ability to promote work-life balance. It's one thing to say you believe in work-life balance but it's another to actually put policies in place that promote it. Amazon benefit package includes health care, paid time off, a savings plan, employee stock, and even relocation assistance. While providing marketing consulting one of my client's told me a story of Amazon paying to relocate here and her family to Seattle. It can't be said enough that work-life balance can really help with employee retention. The CEO of SL8Z experienced first hand the power of Amazon recruiting in his post " How Amazon Sucked Up All the Talent Out of Seattle".

We’re thrilled to welcome @Twitch to our family. Our team is excited about everything that you'll be bringing the entire game community. — Amazon Video Games (@amazongames) August 26, 2014

Salesforce: One of the biggest factors that separates Salesforce from others is that over 40% of their employees is due to successful referrals. Look for ways to promote employee referrals. As well they offer great employee benefits and philanthropy opportunities. When seeking to always hire great people it should be noted that monetary compensation is only partially accountable for attracting great people. We all have different career paths, values, and factors that drives us. Be transparent and focus on employees and they will help you hire great people in some instances. With all the advances in marketing the most powerful form of marketing is still word of mouth advertising.

"People who talk about work-life balance don’t get it. There is only life." - JP Rangaswami, Chief Scientist at http://t.co/pwFUi4FfGT
— Mitch Anthony (@MitchAnthony) January 23, 2014