5 Hiring Tips for Small Businesses

Whether it is to fill an open position or to expand your business, hiring for small businesses is always a challenge, because, compared to large companies, every new hire can have a much bigger influence on your business’ future, not to mention its work culture and dynamic. Which is why small business employers must keep the following in mind when looking for new talent.

• Highlight the potential for professional growth: It is generally more cost effective for small businesses to encourage their employees to pick up new skills and capabilities. It is also one of the key reasons why potential recruits will apply for the position on offer. So when writing the job description, try to define, as clearly as possible, the manner in which an employee can grow within the organisation, and how his/her responsibilities could get augmented over time.

• Leverage your web presence: Instead of having your recruitment listing getting lost on a job website, use social media platforms such as LinkedIn , Twitter, and Facebook to get referrals from those in your network. These referrals will have more credibility and, coming as they do from a known source, easily verifiable backgrounds.

• Be Flexible: In today’s world, small businesses have a lot to gain from looking for talent in sections of the workforce that were previously overlooked for a variety of reasons. This includes people who are differently abled, new mothers, university graduates looking for part-time positions, etc. By leveraging technology to enable accessibility, by allowing your employees to work from home, using web apps such as Office 360 and Google Docs, as well as platforms such as Slack, small businesses can coordinate with their teams and get work done in the most cost-effective manner possible.

• Invest in a background check: Given the impact a new hire can have on your business, it is extremely important to ensure that a candidate’s integrity is unimpeachable. Employee fraud is one the leading reasons for the failure of small businesses, and there are a number of professional background check services that can help ensure that your business is safe from this threat.

• Look for the right fit: No matter how talented the candidate, it is extremely important that he/she share similar values and passions as you, because it is this passion that will enable the candidate to go the extra mile in times of crisis and propel the business forward in good times. Ever business has its own cultural identity and purpose, and the right hire will not only help in preserving it, but also to broaden it.