Hire Smart: Effective Small Business Recruiting Strategies

Hiring the right employees is no easy feat for a small business, yet it is so very important.  At a large company a new employee might just be a small fish in a big pond, but a new employee at a small company can have a significant effect on the company’s culture and day-to-day operations in a positive or negative way.  At the same time, small companies often don’t have the level of manpower and financial capital that large companies have to put towards recruiting.  And if no one has heard of your company, it can be difficult to get resumes pouring in.  According to The Society of Human Resource Management, replacing an employee costs a company between 6 and 9 months of that employee’s annual salary.  To best avoid this financial pitfall, here are some small business recruiting strategies:

1)  Build a brand people will want to work for

Before you start recruiting, take some time to think about what makes your business unique.  This can include your workplace culture, the special ways you treat customers, or an innovative product that is getting a lot of attention in the market.  One of the most effective small business recruiting strategies is building a brand people want to work for.  Make sure your brand is reflected on your company website, giving lots of detailed information about your history, products, awards and achievements and any published material from your executives.

Also, make sure you work aspects of your brand into your job advertisements. Since many job seekers probably haven’t heard of your company, think of catchy slogans and phrases that will get their attention.  And include in job descriptions any mentions of your company in the news or a name of a popular company you have recently partnered with.

2)  Make being a small business work in your favor

Not everyone wants to work for a large Fortune 500 corporation.  There are many benefits to working for a small business, and making them known is one of the recruiting strategies that are sure to lure in qualified talent.  Some of the advantages you can explain to job seekers in your interviews are having a more close-knit staff, more flexibility and fewer strict rules than large corporations.  Since everything happens on a smaller scale at a small business, employees often get a stronger feeling that they are making a difference.  And since small businesses hire less staff, employees are likely to wear multiple hats and learn more skills.  While this can present a challenge, working at a small business could be the opportunity that opens more doors for their career than they could have ever thought possible.

Another one of the recruiting strategies for small businesses that can help you attract talent is a quicker and easier hiring process than large companies.  There are usually less hoops to jump through and it takes less time to hear back from small companies, which is a huge plus for the job seeker.

3)  Be Straightforward About What Candidates Should Expect

One of the small business recruiting strategies that will help you avoid employee turnover is being straightforward and honest to candidates on what the role entails.  Include as much information as you can in job descriptions, including the responsibilities of the job, salary information, skills required and important personality traits that the ideal candidate has.  In the interview, bring up any challenges involved in the role that the potential candidate may have.

Also, give the candidate a clear picture of what the company’s culture is like, and ask questions around their own work style and personality.  Are they someone that needs a more structured environment, and your company is known for their relaxed style?  Does their sense of humor match your company’s?

4)  Don’t Rush, Be Picky

It’s worth waiting for a candidate that is a great fit all around: right set of skills, personality that fits your culture, and their values and career goals align with your company’s.  Not only will you save yourself the stress and money associated with having to lose an employee and go through the hiring process again, an ideal candidate is also likely to have a network of talent they can connect you with for future job openings.

Also, one of the recruiting strategies for small businesses that will help you know for sure if you have hired the right candidate is to give them a trial run.  Agree on a short-term contract to see how they like the job and if they are a good fit for the company.  This is especially important if the candidate you want to hire isn’t an employee referral or someone you have worked with in the past.