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FAQ
Why are good people so hard to find? Where do I find them?
Good people aren’t hard to find. They’re hard to find if you’re looking in the wrong places, or if your opportunity isn’t compelling enough to get their attention.
The reality is that the best candidates are rarely unemployed. They’re already working somewhere, but many are open to the right opportunity if it comes along. The key is knowing where to look and how to approach them.
Start by building a presence where strong candidates already spend their time: professional networks, industry events, community organizations, and online platforms like LinkedIn. Employee referrals are consistently one of the most effective sourcing tools because good people tend to know other good people.
But here’s the part most employers overlook: before you go looking for great people, make sure you’ve built something worth finding. Your reputation as an employer, your workplace culture, and how you treat your current team will determine whether top talent says yes or keeps scrolling.
If you’re struggling to find the right people, sometimes the answer isn’t to search harder. It’s to become the kind of company that great people search for.
What are employees really looking for?
It’s not just about money. It never has been.
Employees are looking for a workplace where they feel valued, supported, and set up to succeed. That means having the tools to do the job they were hired to do, ongoing training, and consistent feedback so they know how they’re performing.
Beyond that, people want leadership they can trust, opportunities for growth and advancement, recognition for their contributions, and a sense of purpose in the work they do. They want to feel like they belong, not like they’re replaceable.
Many candidates today are also looking for flexibility, a healthy work-life balance, and an employer whose values align with their own. Compensation matters, absolutely, but it’s rarely the only reason someone takes a job, and it’s almost never the only reason someone stays.
The employers who understand this are the ones who attract and keep the best people.
How do I attract good people to my company?
You attract good people by being a good place to work. It sounds simple, but it’s where most companies fall short.
Start with your employer brand. What does your company look like from the outside? What do current and former employees say about working there? What does your job posting actually communicate about your culture, values, and expectations? If your postings read like a list of demands with no mention of what you offer in return, you’re already losing top candidates.
Next, look at what you’re actually offering. Competitive compensation is table stakes, but benefits, flexibility, professional development, clear career paths, and strong leadership are what set you apart.
Then think about how you treat candidates during the hiring process. Are you responsive? Respectful of their time? Transparent about the role and expectations? The candidate experience starts long before someone’s first day, and first impressions go both ways.
Finally, invest in your current employees. Happy, engaged team members are your best recruitment tool. When people love where they work, they talk about it, and that’s the kind of marketing money can’t buy.
What are the best questions to ask in an interview?
The best interview questions go beyond the resume and get to who someone really is: how they think, how they solve problems, how they work with others, and what drives them.
Here are some of our go-to recommendations:
“Tell me about a time you faced a significant challenge at work. How did you handle it?” This reveals problem-solving ability, resilience, and accountability.
“What does a great workday look like for you?” This tells you what motivates them and whether that aligns with the reality of the role.
“Tell me about a time you disagreed with a manager or colleague. What happened?” This shows communication skills, emotional intelligence, and how they navigate conflict.
“What’s something you’ve learned recently that changed the way you work?” This shows curiosity, adaptability, and a growth mindset.
“What would your previous manager say is the one thing you could improve on?” This is more honest than “what’s your greatest weakness” and tends to produce more genuine answers.
“Why this role, and why now?” This tells you whether they’ve done their homework and whether this is a thoughtful career move or just another application.
The key is to listen more than you talk. The interview should feel like a conversation, not an interrogation.
Why should I pre-screen candidates?
Because your time is valuable, and so is theirs.
Pre-screening saves you from spending 30 to 60 minutes in a formal interview only to discover in the first five minutes that it’s not a fit. A short phone or video call allows you to confirm the basics: availability, salary expectations, relevant experience, understanding of the role, and genuine interest in the opportunity.
It also gives you an early read on communication skills, professionalism, and energy, things that don’t always come through on a resume.For the candidate, pre-screening shows that your process is organized and respectful. It sets a professional tone and gives them an early opportunity to ask questions and decide if they want to move forward.
Think of it as a filter that protects everyone’s time and ensures that the candidates who make it to the interview stage are people you’re genuinely excited to meet.
What is the biggest mistake employers make when interviewing?
Talking too much.
It happens more often than you’d think. The interviewer spends the majority of the time describing the company, explaining the role, and selling the opportunity, and the candidate barely gets a chance to speak. You walk away feeling good about the conversation, but you’ve learned almost nothing about the person sitting across from you.
The interview is your opportunity to listen. Aim for an 80/20 split: the candidate should be talking 80% of the time. Your job is to ask great questions, listen carefully, and observe how they communicate, think, and respond under a bit of pressure.
The other common mistake? Hiring based on gut feeling alone. Someone can be likable, polished, and impressive in a 45-minute conversation and still not be the right fit for the role. Combine your instincts with structured questions, consistent evaluation criteria, and reference checks. That’s how you make hiring decisions you won’t regret.
Why do people always ask "what are your top 3 skills?"
Because it’s a shortcut to understanding how you see yourself and whether that aligns with what the role needs.
When an interviewer asks for your top three skills, they’re not just listening to what you say. They’re paying attention to how you say it. Do you answer with confidence? Do you back it up with examples? Do your skills actually match the role you’re applying for?This question also reveals self-awareness. A candidate who can clearly articulate their strengths and connect them to real results is someone who understands their own value, and that’s someone worth hiring.
If you’re a candidate preparing for this question, don’t just list generic qualities like “hard worker” or “team player.” Be specific. Name the skill, explain how you’ve used it, and connect it to a result. That’s what makes your answer memorable.
How do I tell the employer how much money I really want to make?
Honestly. But strategically.
The biggest mistake candidates make is either underselling themselves out of fear of being rejected, or throwing out a number with no basis behind it. Neither approach serves you well.
Start by doing your research. Know the market rate for the role in your region and industry. Factor in your experience, your skills, and what you bring to the table that other candidates might not.
When the question comes up, give a range rather than a single number, and make sure the bottom of your range is a number you’d genuinely be comfortable accepting. Frame it with confidence: “Based on my experience and the scope of this role, I’m looking in the range of X to Y. I’m open to discussing the full compensation package, including benefits and growth opportunities.”This shows that you know your value, you’ve done your homework, and you’re open to a conversation. Employers respect that.
And remember: if an employer walks away because you were honest about your expectations, that tells you something important about what working there would have been like.
What are the most important things employees expect from an employer?
At the core, employees expect to be treated like people, not like positions to be filled.
That means:
Strong leadership. People work for people, not companies.
Employees want leaders who communicate clearly, lead by example, and genuinely care about the people on their team.
Training and support. Employees want to know they’ll be given the tools, training, and ongoing support to do their job well and grow in their career.
Recognition. A simple “thank you” or acknowledgment of good work goes further than most employers realize. People want to feel seen and appreciated.
Fairness and transparency. Fair compensation, clear expectations, honest communication, and consistent treatment across the team. When people feel the playing field is level, trust follows.
Growth opportunities. Employees want to know there’s a path forward. If they can’t see a future at your company, they’ll start looking for one somewhere else.
Respect for their time and well-being. Work-life balance isn’t a perk. It’s an expectation. Employers who respect boundaries earn loyalty.
The companies that get this right don’t just attract good people. They keep them.
Why do people keep leaving/quitting?
Because something is missing, and it’s usually not what you think.
Most people don’t quit because of money. They quit because of leadership, culture, lack of growth, feeling undervalued, or a disconnect between what was promised and what was delivered. Many are leaving because their current employer isn’t fulfilling a core need, whether that’s training, recognition, advancement, compensation, or something else entirely.
Here are the most common reasons people leave:
They don’t trust or respect their manager. They feel stuck with no path for growth. They’re overworked and under-recognized. The culture is toxic or inconsistent. Promises made during hiring were never kept. They found an employer who offers what yours didn’t.
The good news? Most of these are fixable. Start by listening to your team. Conduct honest stay interviews, not just exit interviews. Ask people what’s working, what’s not, and what would make them want to stay for the long term.
Retention isn’t about perks and pizza parties. It’s about leadership, respect, and follow-through. Fix those, and you’ll stop losing the people you worked so hard to find.
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