Far too many employers think employees are available at roughly a dime a dozen. While you can probably find people who will work that cheaply, the better quality employees know how valuable their time and skills are. Because they know their worth, they demand far more generous compensation than their less skilled, and thus less confident counterparts in the lower pay grades. An employer who wants to get an advantage over the other companies in their industry will remember this.

Companies that hire the very best know that talent and work ethic combined equal a company that won’t be equaled. Every company has its rivals, and the best companies know that if they don’t hire the best talent, their competition will. As such, providing their employees with everything they need and exquisite benefits leads to high retention, the spirit to work harder and the low stress atmosphere that breeds extreme creativity. When a company does this very well, it becomes well known in its industry. In time, the best candidates begin to actively seek out work at such a company.

So do you want to hire the best for your business? If you want to do the very best you can at what your business does, the answer is yes. But are you willing to invest the kind of money it takes, not only to pay people very well (perhaps twice as much as the industry standard), as well as providing them with the kinds of creature comforts that will make their work days a lot more pleasant than Dillbert has. If you’re really willing hire the best, you can have a world class company.