Careers

Attracting talent to grow: strategies and culture for a competitive organisation

The selection process is like a mutual courtship dance between company and candidate, based on compatibility and company culture

by Luca Brambilla* and Valentina Figna**

21 May 2025

4' min read

One of the most frequently used phrases by HR professionals in companies of all sectors and sizes is perhaps "The selection process is getting more and more difficult because there is a lack of qualified people". However, instead of pointing the finger at the quality of candidates, people management professionals should ask themselves a more uncomfortable but more incisive question: how attractive is my company in the eyes of job seekers?

Talent attraction, one of the most strategic issues today, is a constantly evolving process influenced by the ever-changing world of work. And perhaps, rather than 'attraction' we should speak of 'courtship', highlighting the reciprocity of choice (company-candidate). A principle, the latter, also central to the book Saper Scegliere (Brambilla-Raguzzi), which proposes an approach to selection based as much on company needs as on the candidate's aspirations.

In the face of the dualism between 'the decision-making power is all in the hands of the employer' and 'it is the talent who holds the knife', the truth lies somewhere in between: not a hunter and a prey but two magnets attracting each other. The company's task is to put the candidate in a position to express openly not only what he or she wants to achieve but also what he or she is willing to offer.

Getting talent: a strategic, not tactical issue

Working on a company's attractiveness is still too underestimated, especially by those realities that adopt a reactive approach to selection, intervening only when faced with a vacancy that needs to be 'filled' urgently. A purely tactical rather than strategic mode, which often leads to compromise solutions, opening the door to failure.

A mentality also encouraged by the KPIs chosen, which favour hasty rather than conscious decisions by rewarding the speed of the insertion rather than its long-term success. In addition, sometimes the climate of urgency persists even after recruitment: the new resource, inserted to fill a momentary void, thus without any real planning, risks generating misalignment and frustration over time.

The choice of people to join the organisation is an extremely delicate task, since the hiring of a poor resource leads to heavy financial (and other) repercussions, which are often underestimated. According to a study by Josh Bersin for Deloitte, the loss of an employee can cost the company up to 1.5-2 times their annual salary.

Perfection does not exist: compatibility counts

In this courtship dance one does not aspire to perfection: companies that consider themselves as such should set off alarm bells, and at the same time if an ideal profile existed one would risk having very similar candidates, when it is diversity and uniqueness that generate value.

In relationships, both personal and professional, the key to success is not perfection but clarity of expectations. An organisation that presents itself for what it is not will sooner or later have to deal with the frustration of the person hired. And vice versa. Just as in a marriage, the professional relationship only works if it is based on a shared vision: if in love the glue is the feeling, in selection it is the shared vision.

From contractual agreement to cultural encounter

The selection process is not only the place where economic supply and demand meet but also the zone of confrontation between two hyper-fragmented cultures where points of compatibility can be identified. The candidate's experience, experiences and values on the one hand, the corporate culture, i.e. a synthesis between what is stated and the operational declination, on the other. Culture is not a crystallised element but something alive and constantly evolving. Understood by many managers as the icing on the cake, culture is actually the cake itself. Emptying the selection process of its cultural component reduces it to a mere transaction.

The new generations are not only looking for a paid job but also for a context in which they can leave their mark: lacking this dimension, just like on social media, they 'shrug off' and consider more attractive offers.

Intrinsic motivation is not added as an exogenous accessory but arises internally within the individual, when stimulated, in a cultural context that knows how to enhance his or her potential. Benefits and remuneration, although part of the negotiating table, are not enough to create a deep connection.

How to make a corporate culture attractive? The means is co-design, since the hypocrisy of a culture imposed from above is immediately perceived. Furthermore, there must be congruence between declared and acted: values must not remain abstract but must be embodied in everyday life. As a famous phrase attributed to Maya Angelou reminds us: 'People forget what you said, they forget what you did, but they do not forget how you made them feel'.

An opportunity for self-reflection

Personnel selection can be a valuable moment of reflection for both parties: if the candidate performs the work of self-awareness, thinking about who he/she is, what he/she wants and what impact he/she can leave behind, the company has the opportunity to review its purpose, objectives and the compromises it is willing to accept. It is also a powerful tool for change management, capable of strengthening the value alignment between the people involved.

By adopting this vision, HR stops being a mere 'recruiter' and becomes a true partner in the company's business, capable of matching the interests of the company with those of the people who contribute to its success.

*Director Strategic Communication Academy
**HR Director Southern Europe of Cooper Consumer Health

Brand connect

I prossimi eventi

Tutti gli eventi

Notizie e approfondimenti sugli avvenimenti politici, economici e finanziari.

Management