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We know that it can get difficult for start-ups to attract and hire top talent.  But don’t worry! We reached out to Bayt.com, and it's easier than you think. With the correct balance of building your company brand as an awesome employer, creating a workplace that is nurturing, as well as providing the right compensation, you will be hiring excellent professionals in no time! 

1. Perfect your mission and vision

Attracting top talent is directly related to type of brand you create. Work on perfecting your mission, vision, and values, and how each would relate to your culture, work environment, and employees. Keep this in mind: five out of every 10 professionals in the Middle East want to work for a place where they feel they are working for a greater purpose, as stated in the Bayt.com ‘What Makes a Company an Attractive Place to Work?’ poll, February 2014.

2. Brand your company as an employer of choice online

Now that you’ve spent some time deciding on how you want your company’s culture to be perceived, it’s time to let the world know. Branding yourself, especially online, is the best way to do so. For example, if you have a Facebook page, don’t just post about your product. Take pictures of happy employees, that Xbox on the corner, or company dinners. You can use tools like Bayt.com's Company Profiles that can show your brand to jobseekers.

3. Improve your hiring techniques

Improving your hiring practices can go a long way in recruiting only the best. Write effective and impressive job descriptions to attract top talent for your start-up. When scanning CVs, always check for relevancy, gaps and special achievements. During the job interview, be prepared beforehand by going in with a set of relevant questions for each candidate. Most importantly, let the candidate know if they are not selected. In fact, 60% of professionals feel that the most harmful thing a company can do for its brand is to not follow up or communicate after a job application as stated in the Bayt.com ‘What Makes a Company an Attractive Place to Work?’ poll, February 2014.

4. Make your employees your ambassadors

A great work environment speaks for itself, so ensure that your employees are happy. In order to do this, the main element is to be transparent, especially in a start-up. You need to be clear with your employees on how things are going, and where. In the MENA, 30% of professionals feel that communication channels in their company are not open according to the Bayt.com 'Employee Engagement in the MENA’ poll, April 2014. Managers of a start-up should have an open and frequent dialogue with team members, and always provide honest feedback.

5. Compensate Fairly

35% of professionals in Saudi say loyalty isn’t only linked to salary received according to the Bayt.com Middle East and North Africa Salary Survey, June 2014. Non-monetary ways of awarding talent include giving rewards for service or excellent performance, giving gift cards or free parking, inculcating training and development in the organization, and just generally applying the three engagement principles that have been mentioned above. Having said that, monetary compensation is important. It’s advisable to pay your employees according to the market rate. Tools such as Bayt.com’s Salary Search, find out what SMEs are paying their employees.