Here’s the Real Reason Top Talent is Turning You Down

Despite offering a high salary, a corner office, and generous shares in the company, another qualified candidate has turned you down. While competition for top talent has always been fierce, it’s becoming a growing concern when this same scenario plays out time and time again. As an executive, it’s your job to ensure you hire the right people that maintain an innovative, leading company. So if you’ve named the highest price and the best incentives, what gives?

Now is the time for some self-reflection. Maybe the problem isn’t really external, but rather internal. In the corporate world, your reputation precedes you. Whether you lead a large enterprise or a boutique agency, if you have horrible leadership habits, it won’t take long before word gets out.

From micro-managing to lack of accountability, many leaders have fallen victim to these archaic methods of managing staff. But as younger executives start to pave a new path of leadership, your once admirable qualities may have become your greatest weakness. Here are five signs on whether it’s you, not them.

1. You have a long approval process

Today’s workforce needs autonomy. If it takes three weeks to approve an Instagram caption because there are eight levels of executives that need to give the okay, your brand will become obsolete. The market moves quickly, consumers get bored easily, and it takes approximately 48 hours until the latest celebrity scandal is completely forgotten. Without the freedom to react and create, top talent will become stunted. Chop down the silos and trust your employees to do their job. And most importantly, stop micro managing and get out of their way.

2. You can’t remember the last time you’ve received feedback

How are your employees supposed to be held accountable if their boss isn’t? Just like every successful relationship, there needs to be two open channels of communication between the staff and their executives. Without regular check-ins, face-to-face meetings, and online surveys, employees will feel silenced. For talent, this is a major deterrent from signing the dotted line. Ensure that everyone is equally heard and respected, and that your executive team stays transparent and accessible.

3. You don’t have a culture strategy

Nap pods and beer kegs do not attract talent; leadership does. Handing off the culture strategy to human resources or an executive assistant is one of the biggest mistake leaders make. If you’re not invested in creating an environment that supports teamwork and collaboration, then you’re not invested in innovation or the company’s success. The two go hand-in-hand.

4. You never make time for fun

Just because you host a Christmas party and an annual summer BBQ does not mean you provide a fun office environment. Work is stressful, deadlines are short, and expectations are high. It’s a lot for you, and it’s a lot for your staff. We all need a break, which is why top talent will want to know how you do just that. The more your employees can connect and bond, the more they will enjoy work and collaborate. At my company, I’ve emplaced mandatory screen-free time for 30 minutes every day at 2pm. Staff play foosball, grab a coffee, or simply catch up with colleagues. This short amount of time each day has done wonders for creating a positive environment and higher productivity for the company as a whole.

5. You’ve never shared the company goals, objectives, or direction with staff

Remember that point about staying transparent? From the entry-level staff to the executive management, everyone needs to be on the same page so they can work towards a common goal. Simply by sharing this information, you create a sense of unity and purpose. Today’s workforce wants to feel like they’re apart of something rather than just another employee in a cubicle (and while you’re at it, lose the cubicles). Candidates can sense whether your company is thriving as a whole, or if it’s controlled by a select few.