Unemployment is under 4%, the lowest it has been in 10 years, and today’s talent market is a lot more competitive. Is your talent strategy ready? Don’t let the best candidates fall into the laps of your competitors. Instead, up your game to become and remain an employer of choice. Here are three impact areas that will elevate your employer brand to attract and retain top talent:

The daily huddle is the heartbeat of the Great Game of Business®. It’s part of most any game - a quick, efficient team meeting where you adjust your game plan and then get back in the game and play. But are all staff huddles the same? No! We find you can customize your huddle technique based on the: Type of business – a law firm huddle may differ from a machine shop huddle Type of work – a software team huddle may differ from the financial team’s huddle Culture – some are fun, loud, calm, quick, loose, tight – it just depends on what motivates, works, and fits your team Environment – the way you huddle in a library may differ from how you do it on a loud machine shop floor or with a virtual team on a webcast

You have probably heard the cliche, "People want to buy from people they know, like and trust." Undoubtedly, you could change that to employees want to work for companies they know, like and trust. Let's have a discussion about attracting talent and employee retention. As growth consultants, we witness companies intensively focus on acquiring new customers and put far less emphasis on customer retention or workforce engagement. These businesses are ignoring critical economic drivers of success. It is essential to establish a People+People Plan to create a positive brand experience for all stakeholders. So how do you build a brand reputation that attracts both customers and employees?

At The Great Game of Business®, we love to see the progress of our practitioners and hear about their Great Game journeys. Check out the video below featuring Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star's live Huddle from the BBBS National Conference as they reveal results from their first year of implementing the Great Game.

Kiolbassa Smoked Meats, 2014 Great Game Rookie of the Year and subsequent All-Star Finalist, celebrated achieving their first quarter employee bonus in a unique way. Instead of shaking hands and handing out bonus checks, President Michael Kiolbassa decided to send videos to the entire team during "Bonus Week" to show his appreciation for their hard work. In addition, Mike wanted to emphasize the company’s core values and how he saw those values in action as an instrumental factor to hitting the bonus.

If you are just getting started with The Great Game of Business, let me begin by saying that last year I was you: sitting in the audience at The Gathering of Games, at the beginning of our Great Game journey. Fast forward a year, and we are a 2018 All-Star Rookie of the Year finalist.

I remember vividly that moment, after many months of management team discussions, when we finally pulled the trigger. We knew that committing to practicing the Great Game of Business would be transformational for our business, but like any change, it was new and scary. We were all very excited, but also nervous and dare I say a little apprehensive. What if the time commitment is too great? What if our team members don’t embrace this new way of thinking? What if it just doesn’t work? BUT WHAT IF IT DOES!?

“Alright, stop. Collaborate and listen.” - Robert Van Winkle Amy’s Ice Creams is back with a brand-new invention. As open-book management businesses, we know that when we harness the wisdom of our team, stick to an empowering vision, and measure progress, no problem is too hard to solve. But ask yourself this, “what problems should your team focus on?” There is a plethora for company leadership to choose from, but sometimes the right issue is hard to find.

Everybody loves a great story. So what’s yours? The benefits of good storytelling ripple out from gaining exposure to new customers, partners, and even employees—all of whom may be inspired to join your cause. Your story should be part of your brand and, at a minimum, be part of your website. But you don’t have to stop there. You can also use your story to connect with the media, or as an internal tool to help on-board new employees to help them understand what your company culture is all about.

Front-line employees often see obvious ways to affect Critical Numbers, but we want them invested beyond the obvious and think like owners. We teach the employees at our restaurants to use MiniGames™ to improve aspects of performance that would not otherwise receive focus.