Imagine your ideal candidate scrolling through job postings. What makes them stop and consider your organization? The answer lies in understanding their motivations. Meet the KILOS model: Symphony Talent’s strategic approach to helping organizations reveal what drives top talent and crafting compelling recruitment messages. 

Our award-winning employer brand experts developed the KILOS model. Recently, two experts explored the model in depth and shared real-life examples in our webinar, “Recruitment Revolution: Identifying Talent Motivations and Automating the Path to High-Quality Hires.” Check out the on-demand version below! 

Understanding talent motivations through the KILOS model 

Understanding what drives potential hires is crucial for attracting and retaining top talent. The KILOS — Kinship, Impact, Lifestyle, Opportunity, Status — model provides a comprehensive framework for deciphering the diverse motivations of early career professionals. By aligning your Employer Value Proposition (EVP) with these core drivers, you can create compelling, personalized recruitment messages that resonate deeply with your target audience.

Kinship: Cultivating community and belonging

Kinship focuses on the cultural aspects of a workplace, fostering a sense of belonging and community. It's about creating an environment where employees feel safe, valued, and connected. This includes promoting psychological safety, collaboration, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Essentially, it's about creating a workplace with positive vibes.

Impact: Making a difference

Impact highlights the significance of making a difference within the organization and the broader community. Different individuals are motivated by different types of impact—some aim for societal change, while others focus on local community or business innovation. Understanding these preferences helps tailor your recruitment messages effectively.

Lifestyle: Enhancing quality of life

Lifestyle factors address how a job can enhance an employee's overall quality of life. This includes job security, work-life balance, flexibility, and the working environment. Interestingly, salary isn't a focus here, as it's universally desired. Instead, the emphasis is on emotional motivations.

Opportunity: Career growth and skill development

Opportunity revolves around career growth, skill development, and hierarchical progression. Whether it’s climbing the corporate ladder or gaining new expertise, understanding what motivates your talent can help you craft messages that resonate with their career aspirations.

Status: Prestige and recognition

Status factors pertain to the prestige of working for a well-known brand or being recognized as an expert in one's field. This can be a major talent draw, offering organizational and personal recognition. Promoting these aspects can enhance your recruitment appeal.

Leveraging KILOS for success

Watch the on-demand webinar to learn how to:

• Align internal and external motivations
• Create compelling content and personas
• Build messaging matrices and heat maps
  

The KILOS model offers a comprehensive framework for understanding and leveraging the motivations of current and potential employees. You can create targeted, compelling messages that attract and retain top talent by aligning internal insights with external desires. Implementing this model will make your recruitment efforts more efficient, effective, and impactful.

Ready to take your recruitment marketing to the next level? Start mapping your KILOS today and see the difference it makes in attracting and retaining the talent your organization needs to thrive. Speak to one of our experts to learn more.