20 Jan Small Potatoes, Big Talent: Small Business Hiring
Ok, so your company is not GE or AT&T. In fact, your business might be just you. But if you’re small and growing, you can find ways to attract great employees without an HR department or a big LinkedIn budget. There are potential hires out there, you just might have to look a little harder.
Here are some tips for small business hiring:
Be a commitment phobe. Working with a temp agency can be a cost effective way to find talent when you are hiring on a budget. One, they will likely have candidates at hand or be in the practice of regularly soliciting more, so the leg work is done for you.
Second, they usually will have done at least basic background checks for you, so you can save money on vetting candidates. Many agencies also offer benefits like health insurance and paid vacation days, which means additional savings.
Finally, if you’re not quite sure if you can really afford someone on a full time salary, many agencies offer temp-to-perm solutions. This allows you to hire them for a short term and then can decide later whether to make them a full-time part of the team.
Build experience; don’t buy it. Be practical and thoughtful about what kind of talent you need before you break the bank on a salary package that your company can’t really afford. There are tons of college graduates who don’t have experience but are eager to learn and will take lower pay in exchange for the opportunity to build a valuable skill set.
And Millennials are likely to be technologically savvy and fluent in social media, so they could bring other knowledge to the table. Or, consider someone who is very experienced (more and more Americans are continuing to work past traditional retirement age), but not in your industry. They might even bring you strategies they borrow from their previous careers.
While they might need help familiarizing themselves with your business, they will bring the general professionalism of years of experience, not to mention potential networks for additional hires.
Be perk-y.
[bctt tweet=”Another way to use small business hiring power is to offer perks that are low cost, but widely appealing.”]
For example, more companies are allowing employees to telecommute (read our tips for employers who offer telecommuting here). This additional flexibility will likely not cost you more than a laptop, but could attract people who will trade the ability to work from home for more salary.
Other free and low cost perks – casual Fridays if your team needs to suit up most days, summer Fridays letting people go home early and well-stocked fridges (offering power drinks and healthy snacks is a lot less expensive than another $10,000 in salary).
Small business hiring doesn’t have to break the bank.
Creativity and patience can go a long way when you are on a budget but don’t want to sacrifice the caliber of employees on your staff. Be vocal – let people in your network know that you’re looking (and have a job description at the ready to give them).
Plan early so that you aren’t forced to make a less than stellar hire because your current team is stretched thin. Announce employment opportunities on your website, your Facebook page and Twitter account.
If you’re a small business hiring, you already know that sales is the name of the game – pursue new talent with the same persistence as a lucrative account.