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The battle for top talent is being waged, and the ones who are innovative, tenacious, and realistic about how best to fight it will emerge victorious. In the ongoing struggle for quality candidates in a number of marketplaces—including technology, marketing, engineering, and even recruitment itself—companies are now finding that the battlefield is vast and rife with competition.

What once was easy in a marketplace where supply greatly outweighed demand has now become a significant challenge, and even a threat to small and medium sized companies hoping to grow with talented people who can get them to the next level.

So how can a small company looking to recruit top talent beat the competition to get the job done, and done effectively in the face of major players? There isn't one simple answer—companies now must stay flexible, be innovative, and use as many resources as possible to accomplish recruiting goals. By using simple methods and keeping a few key points in mind, it's possible to mine those hidden gems of potential talent into productive, long-term employees.

One trend that has emerged from the dot-com bubble bursting is the mass exodus of quality recruiters from the profession completely. What once was a lucrative business when the economy was booming suddenly became less and less attractive, leaving the number of good recruiters at a minimum. Many simply went into different careers, never to return. Now with a new emphasis on attaining top talent, good recruiting personnel is not a luxury, it's a necessity. Getting top recruiters can sometimes be as important as getting the talent to fill that high level marketing, IT, or software engineering position.

Look To Your Own Talent

Too often companies don't lean on their own employees to help in the effort, when it's one of the easiest ways to recruit. Get everyone involved, and do it in a different way when possible. Who better to sing the praises of the company and get people interested with an honest assessment of the culture and opportunities than the employees currently enjoying them? Make use of your employees, and they can become a powerful recruiting tool.

There are also internal changes that can be made to make all the difference. As the country moves to online channels, which make things easier with job boards, discussion forums, and e-mail, the personal connection of yesterday is lost. While job boards and e-mail are powerful tools that can be utilized in recruiting, sometimes a well-placed personal phone call can make the difference. Few things are as impersonal as a stock e-mail, but a phone call gives that human touch, and allows the message to be conveyed in a better way, with tone, enthusiasm, and respect.

Sometimes, the perfect interview isn't always the perfect fit for your company.

High-quality candidates will appreciate the efforts of a company willing to take the extra step in conveying its interest. To go one step further, small companies should always have its value proposition ready, and when applicable, explain the differences and benefits it has in regard to competitors. Having those statistics, benefits, and value-adds is vital once that personal connection is made. Recruits must be meant to take your position, company, and interest seriously, so having background, facts, and messaging in place is vital.

Do Your Homework

Another key component to highlight is doing your homework on candidates—and that goes beyond resume reading. All too often a candidate can look great on paper, but once in the interview process, lose his or her luster. One thing to keep in mind is that just because a candidate might not do as well in a first interview doesn't necessarily mean that he or she is a lost cause. In fact, a candidate might not have interviewed in a long time, having been employed and done great work at a previous job for an extended period.