Want Better Hiring Results? Invest in a Birdfeeder

Let us explain…

In recent years, the age-old hobby of birdwatching has seen a surprising surge in popularity. Birdwatching or “birding” has become one of the fastest-growing outdoor activities in North America. All around the country, people are setting up birdfeeders in their backyard, grabbing their binoculars, and eagerly anticipating what feathery clientele they might attract. It’s a fun and entertaining pastime, but did you know that birdwatching can also teach you a lot about recruiting?

You see, corporate recruiting is a lot like trying to attract more birds to your backyard.

There are a couple of different ways that you could go about it. The first is to go to a pet shop and buy birds. As a staffing company, we’ll admit—we love this method, since we are the pet shop. At IQ Clarity, we specialize in sourcing, vetting, and delivering high-quality candidates for companies that need to fill roles quickly and efficiently. We pride ourselves on the diverse array of “birds” that we offer, and we love sharing them with you. But that’s not the only way to build a thriving talent ecosystem. The second—and often more sustainable—approach is to make your yard the place where birds want to be. Not just today, but long-term.

That starts with a birdfeeder.

What’s the Birdfeeder?

The birdfeeder is your employer brand, especially as it shows up online—on social media, career sites, and anywhere potential candidates might learn about your company. It’s what people see when they peek over the fence and ask, “Is this a place where I’d want to land?”

And just like any birdfeeder, it’s not enough to hang one up and walk away. You’ve got to fill it with great seed.

The seed is everything that makes working at your company attractive:

• Competitive salaries

• Great benefits

• Company culture

• Clear growth opportunities

• Flexible work arrangements

• Projects that matter

If you’re offering these things, that’s fantastic, but the key is showing that you’re offering them. Because if the seed isn’t visible, the birds won’t know it’s there and they won’t land in your yard. This is why showcasing the seed via your birdfeeder (social media) is so important.

Do candidates know what makes your company a great place to work? Are you highlighting your values, culture, team, and impact? Are you making it easy for people to imagine themselves thriving in your environment? When you invest in creating a welcoming environment—especially one that’s easy to discover and share—word gets out. Birds tell other birds. Your yard starts to fill with a variety of unique, interesting, and diverse birds. And they’re not just stopping by. They’re choosing to stay.

And here’s the bonus: those birds you do bring in from the pet shop? They’re more likely to stick around when they see they’ve landed in a vibrant, healthy ecosystem.

At IQ Clarity, we specialize in helping companies find incredible talent, but we also believe that long-term success comes from creating an environment where that talent wants to stay. We’re here to help with both: supplying the birds, and advising you on how to build the kind of yard they’ll never want to leave.

So yes, if you want to improve your recruiting results, invest in a birdfeeder. Make it a good one. Fill it with seed that reflects your values and culture, and watch the birds swoop in.