There are 10.4 million open jobs in the U.S., according to the most recent figures available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Per that same report, 4.4 million people quit their jobs in September, another record high. For companies trying to hire in this landscape, it’s imperative to address what job seekers really want – while also keeping current staffers engaged and appreciated.

In this Q&A, Kathleen Steffey, CEO and founder of Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search, shares insights on hiring trends and how to tweak your interview process to ensure you’re finding the best people to fill open positions. The advice is well worth taking: For 20 years, Steffey has been helping business leaders grow by recruiting top-performing sales and marketing professionals.

Kathleen Steffey, CEO and founder of Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search

Q: What are the biggest trends you’re seeing among job seekers right now? What are they looking for from employers?

A: Job seekers aren’t leaving for money right now. They’re leaving for opportunities with better work/life balance and the assurance that they can work remotely. Job seekers are really focusing on their career while maintaining life goals. They’re looking for employers to offer that work/life balance and flexibility.

Q: How can a company best position itself to attract high-quality talent? Is it all about perks or are there other factors?

A: To best position themselves, a company can be extremely mindful of what the candidate marketplace is wanting right now. To attract quality talent, they must be able to offer ways to create work/life balance, a family life, and accepting the culture that people are living and not just working. These are the big factors and not considered perks.

Q: As you’re trying to recruit new talent, is there a risk of neglecting or taking your current staff for granted? How do you ensure long-time workers stay engaged?

A: If you’re only focused on trends to attract talent, but not doing things to address the internal culture, you’re at risk of neglecting the current staff. Some companies are allowing new employees to work remotely to recruit, but not holding the same standards to the current team. There’s a risk if you’re not mindful of creating universal factors that affect the entire organization, versus just who you’re recruiting.

To keep the engagement of long-time workers, businesses as a whole need different people in the company to be leading initiatives that are fun and focused on everyone. You have to include the people who have been there for a long time with recognition programs and awards. You have to keep your eye on the ball and not lose track. It’s very easy to lose track the longer someone has been working somewhere because everybody gets comfortable. It’s something that you really need to call out and be mindful of.

Q: You’ve said in the past that when dealing with labor shortages, companies need to be mindful of their interview process. Could you elaborate? What are some tips you have for tweaking the interview process?

A: When dealing with labor shortages, you must be mindful of keeping the momentum going. Make sure you have “A” players in the interview process and not “C” players. The bigger the organization, the more likely you’ll have people on performance plans; don’t include them in the interview process. “A” players will hire “A” players. “C” players will never hire an “A” player. There’s insecurity and underperformance from “C” players; they don’t see the value in that “A” player and can’t relate. Those “A” players are attracted to the best.

Some additional tips for tweaking the interview process are giving timely feedback to candidates, making sure that the team members included in the interview are not missing interviews, and ensuring they put their best foot forward. An interview process is a marketing tool, not just an evaluation tool. It’s an opportunity to display your culture and brand. You shouldn’t use it only as a time to evaluate people.

Q: Where should companies be recruiting talent? We recently wrote about a promotional products supplier that went viral on TikTok and was flooded with applications after an employee did a “day in the life” video. Should social media recruiting be in the mix? How do you find the right talent pool?

A: I think it depends on the industry. Social media is a huge way to attract and represent your culture and employer brand across all industries, but especially for businesses that focus on a large number of employees that are in the retail and hospitality industries. There’s a huge benefit to using Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Not a lot of older people are on TikTok, so that might work for a younger organization.

Q: Anything else you want to add about the current job landscape and how to navigate it – whether you’re an employer or a job seeker?

A: When it comes to recruiting, just stick to the fundamentals that work. If you’re doing a good job in recruiting, stick to them. You don’t have to do any magic tricks in your processes to recruit. Just make sure those fundamentals in your recruiting process are in place now and forever, so when you do have tight times and trends like those happening now, you’re not overwhelmed. That being said, you do need to continue to look at the cultural changes with candidate decision-making. What’s important for them right now is work/life balance, so keep that in the forefront.