Dive Brief:

• Switzerland has been voted the top country for attracting, retaining, and developing talent according to the IMD World Talent Report for 2016. SHRM reports that it's the third consecutive No. 1 ranking the country has earned. 

• The poll was conducted by IMD World Competitiveness Center, a division of the IMD business school in Lausanne, Switzerland. Countries were evaluated according to their metrics in three areas: Performance in investment and development; appeal and ability to attract and retain talent from abroad; and quality of skills currently held by both internal and external talent pools.

• Data in the IMD report was pulled from two decades of competitive analysis of over 61 countries. The U.S. fell to the 14 out of 61 counties this year, the same ranking it obtained in 2015. 

Dive Insight:

The IMD report can teach us a lot about what it takes to create workplaces that attract, retain and develop outstanding employees. Education plays a large role in this effort. Recruitment that focuses on the candidate experience to produce happier and well-placed employees is also critical.

Younger candidates have indicated tat above-average compensation, work-life balance and the opportunity for career growth through learning initiatives are all key factors in their application decisions. These efforts jumpstart employee loyalty and productivity.