How to Recruit Employees for Small Business in 8 Steps

#1

Determine Your Hiring Needs

Understanding exactly what role you need to fill and the skills required helps you narrow your job search from the beginning. Before you post a job description, consider what your company needs and the duties this person will fulfill.

Make a list of skills that are essential to the position, such as communication skills, which will give you a clearer idea of the type of candidates you should be seeking. Talk to other staff members, especially those who will work directly with this position. You will better understand how this role fits into team dynamics and help lighten their load. The more effort you put into preparing to recruit when the time is right, the less time you spend sifting through applicants.

#2

Write Compelling Job Descriptions

A job posting is a candidate’s first impression of your company, so make it a good one. Remember you’re not just interviewing potential employees — they’re interviewing you and your business to see if it’s a good fit for them.

The best job descriptions not only clearly state the requirements and duties of the position you seek to fill, but perhaps more importantly, they pique the interest of the reader. Here are a few tips for writing job descriptions that encourage the right applicants to apply:

• Avoid generic phrases like, “team player,” and state exactly what specific abilities are required
• Make sure the responsibilities of the job are specific and realistic.
• Be succinct and clear to avoid overwhelming applicants with too much information.

#3

Make Your Offers Competitive

One of the biggest challenges of recruiting for small businesses is providing a competitive salary. Larger companies have the budget to make offers that are hard to refuse, while smaller organizations may be more limited in what they can offer potential employees.

It’s essential to make salary offers that align with the market rate for the type of position you want to fill. Qualified candidates are quickly going to pass on jobs that don’t pay what their skills and experience are worth. Be sure to review what the standard rate is for similar positions in your area so you can present potential employees with appropriate offers.

#4

Provide Non-Monetary Perks

While having a competitive financial and benefits package is key to recruiting, non-monetary perks also play a big role in enticing top talent. Flexible scheduling and remote or hybrid work are huge draws for many employees looking for work-life balance. Even small perks like free lunches on Fridays or allowing team members to bring their dogs to the office can be great for recruiting.

Beyond flexible work schedules, here are a few more ways your small business could potentially sweeten the deal when trying to hire employees:

• Offer unlimited time off
• Create fitness, nutrition, and wellness programs
• Provide discounts to local businesses
• Help employees feel more comfortable with a casual dress code
• Provide snacks in the workplace

#5

Show Off Your Culture

Many job seekers view large companies and corporations as cold, which is one advantage small businesses have when it comes to recruiting. Find ways to show off your company culture and community to potential employees. That can include creating a page on your website about what it’s like to work for your company or making social media posts about what your employees love about your organization. Show candidates that this job will be about more than the paycheck; it also means being part of a culture and community that celebrates everyone.

#6

Get Everyone Involved

Some of the best talent might be right under your nose. Before you look outside your organization, look internally for any employees who may be interested in filling open positions. Current staff members already have knowledge of your company and understand how things work, making the training process much shorter.

Even if you don’t have current employees who can fill an open position, your staff may know someone who would be a perfect fit. Let all employees know about job openings and encourage them to refer candidates who they feel would do well. You may even consider starting an incentive program to encourage employees to refer top talent to your company.

#7

Take Advantage of Social Media & Job Board Sites

Gone are the days of posting jobs in the classified section of the newspaper or hanging signs on the front door of your office. While you’re welcome to do these things, you’ll likely get much better results from online job boards and social media.

Online job posting sites are an easy way to get your company out there and let potential employees know about the positions you have available. Your postings can reach more people in less time, expanding your pool of applicants.

With social media, you have a built-in audience who cares about your brand, making your company pages a great way to get the word out about open positions you want to fill. Share job posts on your Instagram and Facebook feeds. Use LinkedIn to post job ads and encourage employees to share the posts on their own pages.

#8

Track Your Recruiting Efforts

As with marketing and advertising, you can’t know your recruiting strategy is a success unless you measure the results. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to keep track of your recruiting efforts and learn how you can improve your strategy in the future.

Recruiting software for small business can help you monitor things like employee engagement and how effective your job postings really are. You can also purchase software programs that track applicants throughout the recruiting process, helping you to organize applications, schedule interviews, and automate other tasks.

By taking time to develop a comprehensive recruiting strategy, small businesses can attract top talent and build teams that help their organizations grow. We hope our top tips help you learn how to recruit employees for small business and overcome the obstacles that smaller organizations face. With the right strategy, you can compete with big recruiters and find the talent that fits your organization perfectly.