Experts say that one of your best strategies to improve business performance is the alignment of your sales and marketing team. Get those two divisions working together and your business will surely grow.

That may not always be the case, however. In today’s marketplace, the biggest growth obstacle for most companies is not sales. It is supply chain and labor shortages. Talk to any CEO and they will tell you that the two concerns currently keeping them up at night are having enough product to sell and having the right people to sell it.

The supply chain is a tough one. There is not much anyone can do about getting ships into port, finding truckers, or any other supply chain obstacle that can surface. When it comes to labor, though, you do have some control and leverage. Your best shot of turning the great resignation into your greatest opportunity is to align your human resources and marketing teams. Start thinking of human resources as a sales engine that works constantly to find, attract, hire, retain, and develop the right people.

Finding the right people is where marketing comes in. The best talent is just like your best prospect - they are not actively looking for a new opportunity. To get them to come and join your team takes market positioning, branding, the right messaging, and consistent proactive focus. These are actions that your marketing team can and should help you to take.

So how do you align your human resources and marketing team?

1. Set the Meeting. The first step is to set the meeting between these two teams. Get your human resources and marketing teams talking and lay out the objective. Help them understand that a new talent acquisition strategy needs to change with the marketplace. Share the strengths that each division brings to the table, and begin to brainstorm ideas on how they can work together. Leave this meeting with a clear understanding of the common goal as well as the individual roles each department will play.

2. Clarify the Avatar. Just like you define the perfect customer, you need to define the perfect employee. Right now, you have team members working for you who love your company, are completely committed, and do an exceptional job. Clearly define who they are by choosing their best qualities, characteristics, and skills, then build your avatar exactly to that description. This is the employee you will be marketing to. Just like you define the ideal customer for your sales team, do the same for your recruiting team.

3. Define the Strategy. Once your avatar is clearly defined, you can begin to design the strategy of how you are going to find them, attract them, and continuously market to them. Where are they? What social media platforms do they use? What networking or community groups are they a part of? What is the right messaging? Remember, this is a long process, and one you want to approach with a well-defined strategy.

4. Take Action. Go ahead with implementing your strategy. While you begin taking action on the strategy, focus more on the progress than perfection. Consistency is key. Put the strategy into place, set timelines, and track and measure your results along the way.

5. Adjust and Improve. It’s helpful to review the process on a regular basis. What is working, what is not, and where do you need to pivot and shift? Keep your human resources and marketing teams talking, strategizing, and coming up with innovative ideas to find the best and brightest for your team. 

Remember, your best opportunity for growth is to win the war on talent. The business is out there, the supply chain will get better, and you want to be well positioned with a strong team that can take advantage of growing opportunities. Instead of sitting back and waiting for the perfect employees to come to you, get proactive by aligning your marketing and human resources team to attract them to you. With these effective strategies, you are sure to transform workforce uncertainty into your greatest competitive advantage.