Recruiting the right talent is a challenge for many small businesses. With the emergence of technology and the promotion of “flexible” working conditions; you may find it hard to bring in the best people for the job. We discuss why it is so important to recruit the right talent for your small business.
Here are some tips to help your small business recruit the right talent.
1. Set recruitment goals
The first and most important part of finding the right talent for your business is to interview with a set goal in mind. For example, if you are looking for a digital marketing assistant note down the specific goal in mind. Are you looking to hiring someone who specialises in social media marketing or are you after an all-rounder? Explore the necessary qualifications requirements and determine how flexible you are when it comes to their technical skillset.
Small businesses are usually after candidates who have certain qualifications but are also willing to step outside their normal everyday tasks. If this the case then note down flexibility as a recruitment goal. Establishing clear goals early on will help you find the right person for the job.
2. Look beyond the resume
Have you spent hours on end interviewing potential candidates who have extensive experience in their resumes? Have you then hired them to learn that their resume does not accurately reflect their skills levels advertised? Unfortunately, this is common issues that all businesses encounter. As a small business is it important to take extra caution when hiring as you do not want a high staff turnover, particularly when your team is lean.
That is why you should not base your entire recruitment strategy around the traditional resume. More recently, recruiters have been looking at LinkedIn to screen candidates.
3. Cultural fit is essential
More often a resume will not outline whether a candidate is a cultural fit. Technical skills are important to a business, but they are only a slice of the cake. You can teach technical skills, but you may not necessarily be able to instill a culture in the person.
So how do you determine whether a candidate will fit within the culture?
Explore their personal goals, motivations and work ethic. Each person has a unique story to tell. Get to know it. Ask them behavioral and scenario-based questions, rather than leading and closed-ended questions. Assess what traits they inhibit. Are they problem solvers? How strong is their communication? Do they have strong attention to detail? Exploring their soft skills can help you better understand how they will fit within your small business.
4. Widen the scope of your recruitment advertisements
Are you using a recruitment agency? Have you spent all your time trying to find the perfect candidate from Seek? If you have been successful then fantastic. If however, you have not filled the position, then consider broadening your scope of recruitment. Consider using LinkedIn or websites such as Mumbrella and Ribit. Alternatively, you can partner with universities to find young talent. Most universities have a career hub, which employers can use to advertise openings.
5. Promote career progression
People are driven by a desire to learn, grow and excel. Recently we have seen a transition towards multi-skilled individuals who are willing to learn and continue adapting new skills. At the same time, employees need to feel like they can grow at a company.
If you’re looking to hire the right talent for your small business, then emphasise career growth (if possible). Whilst the business may be small, explain your long term business objectives. If they are invested in your businesses vision, they will be more likely to get involved.
6. Emphasise the “small” in your business.
A healthy work-life balance has never been so important. Many employees are now concerned about how their job fits within their life plan. Yes, money is still essential but employees are driven by a great work-life balance. A small business that offers the ability to work from home or flexible work hours is likely to entice potential employees. Small benefits such as a gym membership, sleeping pods and bring your pets to work are great incentives that can help bring in great talent. On the plus side, research has shown that a good work-life balance will help boost employee productivity.
7. Keep your team involved
If you’re recruiting for a small business, chances are that your current team is a lean and well-oiled machine. The last thing that you want to do, is to bring someone that disrupts the efficiency of the team. Start by sharing the profiles with your hiring team. If potential candidates progress, let them meet a few of the team members.
8. If you find the right person, make a fair offer.
Before you start your recruitment set some initial spending goals. Determine your maximum spending and then make a fair offer. Most of the time the candidate may accept the offer, but if they make a counteroffer, prepare yourself for reasonable negotiation. If you want to screen out potential candidates, ask them for salary expectations early on. That way you can filter out those who are asking for more than you can afford.
9. Be quick
Great talent is hard to come by. If you find someone that is a great fit then speed up your recruitment process. The last thing that you want is for them to be snatched up by another company.
Does your small business need funding?
Is your business looking to hire new employees? ALC Commercial offers financial assistance to help you find the right talent. Fill out our quick and easy enquiry form. You could have the funds for the right candidate in a matter of days.
