Five ways to attract talent and win customers
If companies want to attract talent and customers, they need to have the right people and the right culture. From our research into Top Workplaces, we have five practical employer tips for attracting amazing talent and keeping them engaged.
To nominate your organization as a Raleigh-Durham Top Workplace, go here: https://topworkplaces.com/nominate/raleigh/
1. Employer brand strategies start with listening. Employee feedback is gold. Employees know what’s working and what’s not. Employee surveys can capture detailed information on what’s great and what needs to improve. Employees want to know their voices matter.
2. Get leaders to walk the talk, attract talent inspired by it. Anyone can say “culture matters.” But the best companies prove it, especially at the top. Leaders set the tone. Employees and prospects want to know what a company really values. To attract and keep top talent, leaders need to live by the values they promote every day. When leadership walks the talk, everyone else will follow.
3. Hire for culture alignment, not just skills: Skills can be trained. But alignment? Not so much. Hiring the right talent is more than just looking at skills. Look for candidates who align with the organization’s mission, values, and team dynamics. When hiring people who share common beliefs, they stay longer, contribute more, and elevate the culture for everyone.
4. Make your culture impossible to miss: Culture isn’t a slogan — it’s something people live and prove every day. A workplace culture is a powerful reputation builder that attracts top talent (and wins customers, too). When job seekers see the workplace culture come to life through employee feedback and authentic stories, they know a company is the real deal. That credibility helps stand out and attract people who will thrive.
5. Boost your employer brand to become a talent magnet: Recognition based on authentic employee feedback — such as Top Workplaces — shows how a workplace culture delivers on a promise. That kind of third-party validation carries real weight. When a workplace culture earns that level of trust, it attracts top talent and wins customers who believe in the organization.
Employers can showcase their hard-earned employer awards prominently on their careers pages, job posts, and social channels. It’s a simple, high-impact way to show job candidates and potential customers the value of the workplace.
To nominate your organization as a Top Workplace, go here: https://topworkplaces.com/nominate/raleigh/
Bob Helbig is media partnerships director at Energage, a Philadelphia-based employee survey firm. Energage is the survey partner for Top Workplaces.
This story was originally published February 17, 2026 at 9:30 AM with the headline "Five ways to attract talent and win customers."