It’s no secret that happy talent leads to happy clients, but what’s the secret to keeping them happy? The key is prioritizing them. What you spend most of your time on shows where your priorities lie. To be a talent-first company, talent should appear first on every agenda. Whether it’s a staff meeting or with the board of directors, talent should be discussed first, not pushed to the end or tabled for next time.

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The same goes for talent objectives in annual top operating, revenue, growth, and market priorities. This could look like a world-class leadership team or increasing employee engagement. Sales and customer satisfaction are also key to running a business, but discuss these topics in addition to talent, not in place of. As a talent-first company, all goals and objectives tie back to the people as your first priority.

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The best way to show someone you care in any relationship is to listen. In a work setting, you may get just as much valuable input in informal settings as formal ones, so be sure to listen to your talent all the time. One-on-one meetings, town halls, and regular surveys are a great way to open the floor for feedback. There should be a sufficient amount of time set aside after each meeting for Q&As. Daily huddles come in beautifully as a place to check-in, give updates, and ask for support. Changes happen fast, so keep ahead of it by regularly scheduling meetings, not just when something comes up.

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After talent has been brought front and center, we’re ready to start discussing benefits and perks. In a digital world pivoting toward becoming remote-first, this flexibility has never been more important (or anticipated). The option to “work from anywhere” is one of the top things talent look for when job-hunting. Remote as an option or hybrid workstyles work too. GoFasti is remote-first and our developers and designers work remotely from LatAm, and honestly, they love it.

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Benefits have always been important, but for independent contractors, are seldom offered. To show your talent you care, you have to invest in them. Only when our people systems become as important as the others (finance, marketing, etc.) will we be talent-first. That’s why GoFasti currently provides talent health insurance tailored to remote employees, a flexible PTO policy, paid holidays, home office assistance, and perks like language courses and a bonus rewards program. It shows your dedication to talent in a consistent and tangible way that’s sure to attract and retain them.

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Last but certainly not least, let's talk about company culture. It’s the shared energy, goals, and values that make up the culture and influence the experience of working there. A strong sense of company culture fosters a greater sense of community. This helps employees develop rapport with one another, and interpersonal bonds make for a stronger team. Keep your culture strong by hiring people who identify with it. Technical and soft skills are important but for long-term talent success, choosing the right fit is critical. Are they going to feel comfortable being themselves in their day to day? Because that’s what makes people truly happy.

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