How to Get Industry Leaders to Join Your Team

When you’re looking to grow your team, you want to be sure that the people you’re hiring will add value to your business. Ideally, you’d like to identify industry leaders, and then target these individuals as you recruit. But sometimes it feels like this is easier said than done. If you’re searching for those one or two key players who can make a major impact on your organization, keep these tips in mind:

Social media makes this task much easier

If you want to figure out who’s running the conversation in your industry, simply jump on Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms. Over time, you’ll quickly begin to identify industry leaders based on their comments and interaction with others. From there, you can work to build your own relationships with these individuals. If you know someone who is already connected to this person, you can also ask them to help make an introduction. Being approached by someone they know and trust can break down any barriers that may exist, particularly if this person has demands on their time that might otherwise prevent them from connecting with you.

Identify where this leader would fit in

While you’re working on networking with this individual, take some time and figure out where they might fit within your company. You don’t want to bring someone on board in any capacity just to have them on your team, and then discover that the position wasn’t right for them and that they plan on leaving in a few months. Develop a well thought out strategy for how you’d like to get this industry leader involved in your brand.

Understand what drives them

If you truly want to hire someone who can reshape your business, you’ll need to understand what motivates them. In many cases, these factors will be drastically different than what motivates other employees. It probably won’t be solely money or vacation days. Things like freedom, strong company culture, and the ability to take on exciting projects often carry more weight with true leaders. Keep this in mind as you try to recruit.

Wait for an appropriate time

If you’re introduced to this person and immediately offer them a job, don’t be shocked when your connection goes sour quickly. Though you may be excited about the potential of working with this individual, immediately suggesting that they join your team can be off-putting to them. Work on building up your relationship first before making this suggestion.

How have you gotten an industry leader to join your company? Share your tips with us in the comments!

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