Small Business Hiring: Ten Effective Strategies to Attract Top Talent
Small business hiring presents unique challenges, especially when competing against larger companies. However, with the right strategies, small businesses can attract top talent and drive growth. Discover key approaches to enhance your hiring process and make your business a desirable place to work.
Many small businesses say that finding the right staff, especially at the senior level, is an ongoing challenge. They often have less capacity in terms of wages and benefits to compete with the big boys. This can lead to staff shortages, which can limit a company’s growth or force an executive to work more hours in order to compensate.
But the playing field appears to be changing. Last year, the national unemployment rate hit an all-time high, and in the aftermath of that nationwide economic shock, employees at all levels have begun rethinking their business priorities and switching jobs.
As a small business, this may be an ideal time to punch above your weight and target top industry talent. Do it right, and you can and set your small business up for success.
Key Ideas for Enhancing Your Small Business Hiring Process
Below are some ideas to keep in mind when reviewing your small business hiring process.
- Raise Your Profile: Job candidates research a company online and will move on to another job offer if they can’t find information on a firm. Make sure your website emphasizes what makes your company a unique place to work. And be sure to create an engaging careers section, detailing your team culture, what benefits you offer, and why they should want to join your team.
- Make Your Website Personal: Consider including photos of your office, a group photo of your team and a video with a virtual tour of the office as well as interviews with existing employees and highlights of working for your firm.
- Promote Intangible and Lifestyle Benefits: Offer extra perks such as company outings, free coffee and snack and a relaxed dress code, focusing on work-life balance and a family-friendly workplace.
- Rethink How You Attract Young People: Maintain high ratings in Glassdoor reviews. Be vocal about your support of gender equality in the workplace.
- Be Flexible: Embrace a more informal working structure to attract people who are looking for remote or hybrid opportunities.
- Post Clear, Comprehensive Job Descriptions: Accurately describe the job, listing the position’s responsibilities and tasks, skills and experience required, desired work schedule and location, an overview of the company and a description of the ideal candidate.
- Offer a Smooth, Mobile-Friendly Application Process: Don’t let the application process become too complicated by using antiquated software. Promoting an opening on mobile devices can increase the number of applicants.
- Don’t Forget Salary Range: This can be a real red flag to applicants. If you are not mentioning what the position pays, don’t be surprised if the number of applicants is less than desirable.
- Respect the Applicants Time: Don’t turn your job application into an essay contest. Respect the time your potential hire is already putting into the process by filling out all the text fields, attaching resumes and work samples, listing references, etc.
- Communicate With Your Candidates! Let your candidates know where they are in the recruitment process, what the next steps are and when they will hear back from you. They put in the time to apply. Let them know you appreciate that through communication!
Have more questions about the HR steps before and after your perfect candidate says “yes”? Contact Us today to learn more about our many solutions to help streamline the hiring and on-boarding processes!