Small businesses are the backbone in the economies of many nations, and as such, they deserve their proper credit. It can sometimes feel as though small businesses are considered lesser-than or not ‘as proven’ as larger entities that may have larger reach, but that’s not necessarily the case at all.
This humility can sometimes prevent small businesses from chasing the potential and ambition they deserve to express. Sure, it’s important to recognize that competition can be fierce in any market, but you deserve to work to the top developmental capacities that you can.
For this reason, we would recommend that small businesses also take an eye towards recruiting the best talent they can. This not only helps them establish a competent company culture, but innovative thinking and risk-taking leadership can help them develop, quite significantly, to the next stage of commercial activity.
But how and why should small businesses focus on attracting top talent? In this post, we’ll discuss that and more, as well as essential methods for acquiring such wondrous workers:
Selling Your Business Idea
It’s important to sell your business idea, to investors, to your clients and customers, but also to those who hire. If you are able to write robust and impressive job openings that give an accurate look at life at your firm, including what your history is and how you intend to move on, you may find that those with even overqualified skillsets take an interest in what you have to say.
Selling your business idea can also be achieved via constructing a carefully written and thorough website, detailing your plans, ambitions, and decisions of the past leading you to where you are today. It might be that you offer excellent graphic design services – so, why not show your portfolio if you have creative work to offer? If you can inspire trust and interest in your brand, new people will wish to work for you.
Ultimately, these applicants want to be sold on the journey of your firm and what your intentions for operating even are. Knowing that you’re seeking to improve can cause those who may be stuck in dead-end jobs but are thoroughly qualified to do the job to apply and take a chance. This gives you a larger and more diverse talent pool to recruit from, which is almost always a very good thing.
The Potential You Can Offer
It’s good to properly showcase what potential your firm can offer when recruiting new talent. This might involve a few fantastic benefits in your robust package, such as employee recognition software dedicated to bring the best out of your employees and build teams worthy of being part of.
It might showcase certain elements of convenience, such as being able to work from home, or in some positions, a company car. It can also be worthwhile to discuss what kind of upward mobility may be possible for those looking to make a thorough career out of their daily efforts.
Attending Recruitment Conventions
Sometimes, we cannot be so proud as to expect all of our candidates to come to us. In some cases, going out to attract top-quality talent will provide a fantastic and necessary starting point for tihs.
Recruitment drives at certain conventions can be a great idea. It could also be worth thinking about hiring directly from certain universities, as having a good relationship with such a course and having the best students recommended to you (should they wish to work for you), can help you offer attractive packages and training to young hopefuls.
Don’t think that this is the be-all and end-all of the discussion, however. Some firms may find it appropriate to hire those looking for a necessary start, such as rehabilitated prisoners looking for a job with the willingness to set things right. In some cases, this employment may be subsidized by local governments to help stop new offenses.
This might not be suitable for your particular career, but you’ll often see programs like this for hospitality companies, and manufacturing. Some of the top restaurants in London employ those who have come through programs like this, and it’s also worth mentioning that the good you may do here can reflect on you as a firm.
Another option would be to opt for hiring remote workers. Hiring remotely expands your talent pool from your immediate area to, well, every area. No matter where the best candidates live, they can now work for you.
Developing An Attractive Package
Developing an attractive package of compensation and benefits is of course one of the major ways to attract good talent, but small businesses are often limited in the scope of what they can offer.
There’s no need to worry too much about this, of course. Even talented and qualified individuals are happy to take on a competitive salary provided that over time, they gain appropriate raises, and that the benefits are comparable to other firms. In some cases, you may be able to offer more, such as commission, or free transport, or expenses-paid trips. Making this clear from the outset is more likely to gain you applicants willing to look past the package they see elsewhere and help your business grow.
Forward-Thinking Challenges
You may find that allowing potential employees to think of the future is a great way to motivate their ambition. For instance, if you’re clear about what changes you wish to make in the industry, why your particular product or service is needed and important, and how you’re already changing the game, then new people will want to be part of that.
Think about it – is it better to be at the mid rung of a company that is already established and enjoys worldwide success? Or at a high level in a growing company that can potentially thrive based on your decision-making and time at the firm? What if you have been sold on the product completely, absolutely believing in it from top to bottom?
As small businesses, offering our potential applicants the chance to feel that way can be tremendously exciting. You’d be thoroughly surprised as to how well such an effort will work out.
Branding & Promotions
Sometimes, a good way to recruit staff is to allow them to be part of your marketing material, be that appearing in advertisements, video content on the web, or having a space to write their thoughts on the industry on your business blog page.
In some cases, this might involve being part of the social media decisions that take place. For instance, we might think of a plucky chef given space to write about her favorite cheeses on your website to boost your engagement as a restaurant. In an online world, such efforts can be attractive to prospective employees as it gives them a chance to diversify their output and build their professional presence.
The Interview Process
Of course, hiring is also determined by the interview processes you give. Not only do competent interviews help you identify the best employees worth curating, but it can give a positive impression to your potential candidates, too.
It’s not uncommon for a poorly managed interview or an unprofessional discussion during this process to turn off someone looking for a serious place to work. As such, investing in your process, including using a small business applicant tracking system and designating a private, spacious room for the talk to take place, can be a tremendous way of confirming that yes, you have the business they wish to work at. This can turn a ‘let’s see what happens’ application into a ‘yes, I genuinely want this role’ decision.
With this advice, you’ll hopefully know why and how small businesses should focus on attracting and potentially retaining top talent – in the best possible way.
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