6 Strategies to Attract and Retain Top Talent in Centers of Excellence
In today's competitive job market, attracting and retaining top talent is crucial for Centers of Excellence. This article presents expert-backed strategies to help organizations build and maintain high-performing teams. From automating recruitment processes to cultivating a workplace worth recommending, these insights offer practical solutions for talent management challenges.
- Automate Recruitment to Focus on Connections
- Create Growth-First Culture with Career Pathways
- Implement Impact Cycles for Skill Development
- Build Strong Mentorship and Professional Growth
- Establish Weekly Momentum Meetings for Alignment
- Cultivate Workplace Worth Recommending for Referrals
Automate Recruitment to Focus on Connections
One effective strategy we've used to attract and retain top talent in our center of excellence involves automating and integrating our ATS and candidate assessment tools to handle high application volumes. As the talent pool becomes more competitive, recruiters often face hundreds of applications for a single role—making it challenging to identify top candidates quickly and efficiently.
By integrating our Applicant Tracking System (ATS) with candidate assessments, we've automated the candidate assessment process and the return of scores to the ATS. This way, recruiters can quickly identify the most qualified candidates based on our predefined criteria, ensuring the right talent reaches the top of the list.
With less time spent on administrative tasks, our recruiters can focus on what actually attracts top talent—building real, meaningful connections. A smooth candidate experience and personal engagement make candidates feel valued, help communicate our culture, and ultimately increase the likelihood of hiring and retaining the best people.
Create Growth-First Culture with Career Pathways
One highly effective strategy we used to attract and retain top talent in our Center of Excellence (CoE) was creating a "Growth-First Culture" with visible career pathways and hands-on ownership opportunities.
Instead of just offering a competitive salary or standard benefits, we focused on building an environment where top performers could see exactly how their contributions would lead to professional advancement. From day one, team members were given ownership of impactful projects, access to cross-functional learning opportunities, and were regularly invited to contribute to strategic decisions—not just execution.
We also launched a structured internal program where team members could rotate across domains—like cloud, data, automation, and DevOps—within the CoE, giving them a chance to broaden their expertise and avoid stagnation. Each rotation came with mentorship, clear KPIs, and a showcase opportunity at our internal tech summits. This positioned the CoE as a career accelerator rather than just a technical delivery unit.
What made this strategy successful was the combination of autonomy, visibility, and purpose. High performers want to grow, be challenged, and feel valued—and our CoE gave them all three. As a result, we saw higher retention, stronger internal referrals, and even external talent actively seeking to join after hearing about the culture from existing members. It wasn't just about attracting talent—it was about building a place where great people wanted to stay and lead.
Implement Impact Cycles for Skill Development
Building a successful tech-enabled logistics business in a crowded market requires more than just innovative solutions – it demands a team that's both highly specialized and deeply aligned with our mission.
One strategy that's been particularly effective for us at Fulfill has been implementing what we call "Impact Cycles." This approach combines focused skill development with real-world application in a structured 90-day framework that we've found transforms how we attract and retain top talent.
Here's why it works: Instead of the traditional siloed approach to talent development, Impact Cycles connect individual growth directly to business outcomes. Every quarter, team members select specific competencies to develop that align with both personal career goals and our company objectives. They then apply these skills to solve real challenges our clients or internal teams face.
What makes this strategy successful is the triple benefit it creates. For the individual, there's clear career progression and skill acquisition. For our clients, it means continuous innovation in solving their 3PL matching challenges. And for our business, it creates a culture where talent development and operational excellence are inherently linked.
I've seen firsthand how this approach has transformed our retention rates, particularly in our technical and client success teams. In an industry where understanding the nuances of supply chain, eCommerce operations, and 3PL capabilities is crucial, this focused development approach has built a team with both depth and breadth of expertise.
The logistics industry is notorious for high turnover, but by creating these structured paths for growth that directly connect to meaningful work, we've built a center of excellence where people stay because they're constantly evolving their capabilities while making tangible impact. For companies building specialized teams in competitive markets, I can't recommend this integrated approach enough.
Build Strong Mentorship and Professional Growth
One effective strategy I've used to attract and retain top talent at Ozzie Mowing and Gardening is building a strong culture around mentorship and professional growth. I've always believed that sharing knowledge and giving people room to grow is just as important as the work itself. When I bring someone onto the team, I make sure they're not just thrown into the deep end. Instead, they're guided through our processes, taught the horticultural theory behind what we do, and shown how to apply it practically in the field. Because I've spent over 15 years in this industry and have a formal qualification in horticulture, I can pass on a deeper level of understanding that goes beyond the basics. This has helped team members feel valued and invested in, which naturally leads to better retention.
A good example of this in action is when I hired a young landscaper who had a solid work ethic but limited plant knowledge. I worked closely with him for six months, teaching him about soil health, plant physiology, and proper pruning techniques. By the end of that period, he was managing his own clients under the Ozzie brand and getting great feedback. He's now one of our most requested team members. This approach works because people stay when they feel like they're becoming better at their craft, and I've built the business around giving them the tools to do just that.
Establish Weekly Momentum Meetings for Alignment
We treat hiring like we treat client work—with clear expectations, performance data, and constant feedback loops. One strategy that has helped us retain top talent is our "Monday Momentum" meetings. Every Monday, we review our priorities, progress, and blockers. This approach keeps the team aligned and gives everyone a chance to flag issues early.
This strategy works because it creates accountability without micromanagement. Everyone knows what success looks like for the week and feels supported in achieving it. It also gives our top performers visibility into how their work impacts the business, which keeps them engaged and committed in the long term.
Cultivate Workplace Worth Recommending for Referrals
We built a strong referral pipeline by creating a workplace that people wanted to recommend. We offered team bonuses for referrals, but the real driver was culture. When your employees enjoy their work, feel valued, and see growth opportunities, they naturally spread the word. That's precisely what happened at our company.
One of our best hires came from a team member's referral after a Halloween team event. The candidate heard about how we treat employees, the training we offer, and our growth plans. He joined, advanced quickly, and is now one of our managers. The strategy worked because it wasn't just about money—it was about building a place people are proud to talk about.
