Attracting and Retaining Talent in the U.S. Labor Market: Key Strategies for Competitive Companies

• By: IMPAKTA TALENT

Expanding to the U.S. labor market requires more than just setting up operations—it demands a strong talent strategy to attract and retain top employees. Due to a historic talent shortage, over 75% of companies struggle to find skilled workers. How can businesses expanding to the U.S. remain competitive while improving their talent attraction strategy? Mastering employer branding, employee value propositions, and a solid talent attraction strategy is the key to success.

At Impakta Talent, as recruiters and leadership consultants, we have worked with companies that have successfully differentiated themselves in attracting and retaining talent. The secret? The secret lies in adopting strategies that are focused on the employee experience and evolving employee expectations. Here are the keys to achieving this:

1. Build a Differentiated Value Proposition

In a highly competitive market, salary is no longer the only determining factor in attracting talent. To enhance talent attraction, it is essential to build an employee value proposition (EVP) that goes beyond financial compensation.

🔹 What are employees looking for today?

• Comprehensive benefits: physical and emotional wellness, competitive insurance, and mental health programs.
• Flexibility: hybrid/remote work options.
• Strong organizational culture and empathetic leadership.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Clear purpose with real impact.

In particular, younger generations (Millennials and Gen Z) prioritize an inspiring purpose and the ability to challenge themselves to grow. If a company does not offer these elements, it is unlikely to attract or retain the top talent from these groups.

2. Employer Branding: Company Image Matters

Today, candidates do their research before applying.

For example, they look for reviews on platforms like Glassdoor, social networks, and professional forums to assess a company’s reputation as an employer.

🔹 How to strengthen employer branding?

• Communicate company culture through social networks and valuable content.
• Encourage employees to share their work experiences authentically.
• Create testimonials and videos of employees talking about their experience in the company.
• Manage internal communication to leverage the culture you want to foster.

For instance, companies like LinkedIn have been able to leverage this with videos and posts where employees share their experiences, which attracts and engages future candidates.

3. Labor Flexibility: A Differentiator

Despite the trend of many companies to return to face-to-face, in fact, 70% of workers in the U.S. prefer jobs with remote or hybrid work options, according to a Gallup study (2024).

🔹 How to implement flexible models effectively:

• Design or maintain hybrid or flexible in/out schedules.
• Establish clear performance goals and metrics to measure results and not just physical presence.
• Use digital collaboration tools to maintain productivity.

Companies that integrate flexibility without compromising efficiency strengthen their talent attraction and retention in this environment.

4. Development and Learning: A Must, Not an Extra

As a result, professional development is no longer an optional benefit. Employees are considering leaving their jobs if they don’t see growth opportunities.

🔹 Key strategies:

• Foster on-the-job learning experiences and assignments.
• Invest in building leadership skills.
• Provide access to recognized learning platforms and certifications.
• Create customized career plans with internal growth opportunities.

📌 Success story: In Mexico, PepsiCo, Danone, and Novartis have worked collaboratively to implement the “Externship” exchange program, where employees can work temporarily in any of these companies to learn new skills and enrich their professional experience. Models like this are highly collaborative, attractive to talent, and strengthen employer branding.

5. Employee Well-Being and Experience: The New Differential

85% of employees who feel valued have higher engagement and productivity (Gallup).

🔹 Concrete actions to improve employee experience:

• Implement engagement surveys to listen and act on their needs.
• Design workspaces that promote physical and emotional well-being.
• Create innovative initiatives such as sports practices, book clubs, mental health, mindfulness, and coaching programs to reduce work stress.

Companies that prioritize employee experience gain loyalty, long-term performance, and improve talent attraction significantly.

In conclusion, we can say that the future of talent is in companies that evolve. Indeed, the U.S. job market has changed dramatically and will continue evolving. Companies that understand the importance of active listening, flexibility, and investing in talent are the ones that will attract and retain top performers. At Impakta Talent, we are proud of our journey helping clients to attract and develop their talent to drive the business forward.

• Impakta Talent offers tailored learning programs designed to meet the unique needs of each client, ensuring an impactful and personalized experience. Backed by a team with extensive expertise in corporate environments and consultancy, they are dedicated to guiding clients toward sustainable success.
• https://impaktatalent.com/en/home/