Almost 50% of employees in America work for small businesses. It’s not a stretch to say that a large portion of the economy relies on thriving small businesses. No pressure. And while America may rely on small businesses, small businesses, in turn, rely on quality workers. And in an ever-shifting job market and gig economy, finding the right worker is more complicated than ever. Any small business hiring employees needs to abide by a few tips. Six, to be exact.
Here are the hiring tips for small businesses that take your workplace to a new level.
Be Clear About the Role
Managing expectations is a crucial role for any hiring manager. Unless you work for the secret service, there’s no reason to be vague in your job requisition. Speak with department heads if you need more insight into the role. Figure out exactly what skills are required for a candidate to excel and highlight those skills in the posting. And remember to list daily tasks, salary, and timeline for the role. A particular emphasis should be placed on the timeline if you’re hiring for a temporary position.
Being clear about the role ensures you get quality candidates who might fit the position well. Ideally, being clear also reduces the sheer number of resumes you must read through. All that said, don’t be afraid to post a fun, quirky, witty job requisition. Just make sure you have the facts about the position front and center.
Use Your Network
Underutilizing your business network is like leaving money on the table. A candidate who comes highly qualified and referred is worth their weight in job applications from a generic, public posting. And keep in mind that using your network also means using your employees. Who knows the position better than someone that works in the department? Consider sending out an internal email to collect prospects. This particular tip is successful in specialized fields like programming, engineering, medicine, sales, etc. Utilize your business resources, and use your network.
Offer Flexibility
Every small business hiring employees has to recognize that flexible workplaces are more popular than ever. These days, employees expect remote/hybrid opportunities, a workplace that works with them to achieve a work/life balance and other benefits. Businesses thrive when they’re able to adapt. As a hiring manager, adapting to these employee expectations works in your favor. That said, not every role can be done remotely. Candidate feedback is the best way to determine what type of flexibility your candidates seek. Have the people you interview and your employees list things they’d like from their roles. Determine the common denominators among the employees and work towards providing them. In this way, small business owners can show they actually care about their employees while also creating a nurturing, fun workplace.
Go Where the Talent is
The question shouldn’t always be, how to hire employees for small businesses? Instead, ask yourself, where are the employees my small business needs? Use specialized online message boards by finding websites dedicated to your industry. Looking for a programmer? Check programming boards. Looking for a designer? Check designer message boards. The same goes for entry-level jobs like waiter, cashier, etc. Look for local job websites or attend job fairs. Going where the talent is increases the chances of finding candidates whose goals for the role align with yours.
Offer Training Opportunities
We’ve all been in a job with no future. And no one wants to wake up feeling stagnated day after day. It’s not good for employees or productivity and creates a sour workspace. It’s your job as a hiring manager to prevent this. Offering training opportunities excites candidates and employees about their career future. And it helps you maintain a more robust, more qualified workforce.
Streamline The Application Process
Hiring employees for a small business can be draining. Posting a job requisition, filtering through resumes, sifting through actual candidates, interviewing, background checks, and more can take a lot of time and energy. That’s why streamlining the application process is crucial. Remember job applications that forced candidates to manually upload multiple copies of their resumes—followed by a job history screen? Unnecessary hurdles put distance between you and your ideal candidate. Speak with your department heads to determine how to shorten the time between a job posting and a final decision. Thankfully, KarmaCheck can help.
How KarmaCheck Can Help
Imagine finding the perfect candidate, but before making an official offer, you must run a background check to stay compliant. But before the results return, the candidate accepts a competitor’s offer. Partner with KarmaCheck to get speedy, reliable data that helps you make an informed decision faster. It’s one of the easiest ways any small business hiring employees can streamline their process and one of the best small business hiring tips out there. Get started today and be that much closer to finding your perfect candidate.
