It would be difficult to miss the fact that Chick-fil-A attracts the best employees in the fast food industry. Go into any CFA store and then visit a neighboring fast food competitor. Same neighbor, same wage rates, very different customer service environment. Why is that?

There are a lot of reasons that could be combined into a vague term like culture. But the rest of us need to know how we can get similar results for our business. How can we attract great employees at a reasonable cost like CFA seems to do so easily?

Here are four steps to start attracting talent like CFA does:

1 – Create Clarity – CFA leadership knows what they stand for and they are not shy about it. In a job posting on Snagajob for a leadership position, the company listed their corporate purpose – “To glorify God by being a Faithful Steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a Positive Influence on all who come in to contact with Chick-fil-A.” Throughout the description, the company bolded terms to draw the readers attention. Terms like Cheerful, Productive, Customers First, Personal Excellence. Cheerful and Productive were mentioned twice!

Chick-fil-A hires people from all faith backgrounds as long as they are on board with following the guiding principles of the organization. Putting so much of what they believe out in the public eye allows interested job seekers to determine for themselves if they would be a good fit. CFA is known for its long and thorough interview process. If you don’t have and believe in the traits highlighted in the job placement, would you bother applying? Probably not.

That saves CFA leadership time and money.

2 – Protect Your Culture – Protecting their culture is a lot easier for CFA than for a lot of companies. Why? Because they have been so diligent spelling out what they stand for. Their hiring and human resource processes simply reinforce these core principles. That strong culture attracts the right people and repels the wrong ones.

Does your business have clarity about what you stand for and where you are going? Do your processes and system reinforce this clarity?

3 – Invest in Leadership – It is incredibly difficult to get a leadership position at CFA. The company is diligent in making sure only the right people are allowed in leadership. Once a leader is hired, CFA ensures they are trained to protect and promote the distinct CFA culture. These leaders only hire the best and take great care of their people. They treat their people well and their people treat their customers well.

Do your hiring processes protect your brand by only letting the right people in?

4 – Pride – Chick-fil-A is excellent at what they do. The number of applications they receive and the lines inside and outside of their stores show employees they are part of something excellent. CFA attracts employees that want to be a part of something great. They want to grow and learn. The people who apply “fit” CFA and CFA fits them.

Chick-fil-A also gives back a lot to the communities it works in. Being on a team that gives back so heavily makes CFA’s employees feel great. Employees that get joy from giving back are attracted to work at CFA.

Do your employees have something to be proud about? What is your company great at? How does it give back?