5 Strategies for Attracting the Right Talent for Your Small Business

Small business owners often fall into the trap of trying to do everything themselves. But as your business grows, you’re going to need some help. Thankfully, hiring employees doesn’t have to be as intimidating or complicated as it sounds. With a bit of patience and strategy, you can attract top-tier talent to grow with your company. Here are a few effective approaches to finding the right talent and encouraging them to join you on your journey.

Be Clear With Your Expectations

Before you ever post a job listing on Indeed or reach out to prospective candidates in your area, spend some time getting clear about what you want from your future employees. Instead of coming up with a vague or generic job description, get specific about the responsibilities that your new employees will tackle. If you’ve already got a small team and your new employee will be answering to someone else, work with them to learn their expectations as well.

Coming up with a solid list of expectations can benefit both you and your prospective candidates. You’ll be able to save yourself the time of weeding through dozens of candidates who don’t meet your expectations, and candidates can approach you with confidence knowing they have the skills and capabilities you’re looking for.

Create a Top-Tier Job Posting

Now it’s time to create your listing. Not only will you need to let your prospects know about the job responsibilities that you outlined in the last step, but you’ll also need to grab their attention from the dozens of other similar job postings they’re seeing. If your advertisement isn’t captivating and engaging, the talent you’re looking for is likely to go somewhere else. 

Include all essential details like job title, responsibilities of the position, and essential duties within your posting. It’s also important to post salary and benefit information upfront. It’s frustrating to go through the interview process and find a great candidate, only for them to turn down the position after finding out their compensation. Being forward with this information can save both of you a lot of time and hassle. Finally, try not to use a ton of industry jargon unless you’re looking for a very specific candidate with industry-specific skills. Otherwise, prospective candidates may be intimidated by complex and flowery language with terms they don’t understand.

Consider Referral Programs

If you already have a few people working with you, consider starting a referral program. Chances are that your current employees likely know of other talents in their industry, and they may be willing to pass on the word about your job opening. Taking advantage of the network that’s already available to you can bring great talent much more quickly than a blind search. 

Consider offering additional benefits to employees who refer someone whom you end up hiring. Perhaps your workers would be enticed by an extra day off or a bonus at the end of the quarter. Don’t be afraid to get creative and even consult with your team about what kind of incentive would encourage them to seek out potential candidates. 

Offer Creative Benefits

Speaking of benefits, you can use them to attract talent even if you aren’t able to provide as gracious of a salary as larger companies. As a small business, every penny counts, but you don’t have to let your small budget hold you back from attracting great talent. Sometimes, benefits can be just as enticing (if not more so) than the salary itself. 

Feel free to get creative with the benefits you offer. You might be able to extend the opportunity to work from home every Friday or throw in an extra vacation day or two. It may be something as simple as allowing your employees to bring their pets to work with them or creating a workplace library filled with great reads. Consider purchasing an audiobook subscription service for your employees to utilize on their commute or offer to pay them or give vacation time in exchange for volunteer work. The possibilities are endless, and they can help set you apart from other companies vying for the same talent. 

Maintain a Desirable Workplace

You might think that most people leave their jobs because they aren’t getting paid enough, the commute is too long, the hours aren’t great, or they don’t like their bosses. These are valid concerns and do play a part in employee retention. But a recent study by FlexJobs revealed that 62% of respondents quit their jobs because of toxic company culture. 

If you don’t maintain a workplace where people actually want to work, you won’t be able to keep new talent, no matter how many benefits you offer them. Company culture can have a huge impact on employee satisfaction, even if you’re not able to offer a huge salary. Work with your current employees to learn how you can improve the workplace to keep everyone happy and motivated for the long haul. After all, once you find great talent, you want to hold onto it! 

Bonus Tip: Network with Local Organizations like the LI Center

Finding the right talent for your small business doesn’t have to be as hard as it sounds. If you have a network to work from, you can make the process even quicker and easier. The Long Island Center for Business and Professional Women is an excellent resource for small business owners and offers an encouraging and productive space for you to network with other female entrepreneurs throughout Long Island. 
Membership with the LI Center connects you with some of the most talented and driven female entrepreneurs in the area, giving you a like-minded group of peers to network and connect with. Attend fascinating events and conferences, show off your business’s achievements in our email newsletter, host Instagram and Facebook live sessions, guest blog on our website, and more. Membership with the LI Center pays for itself in dividends. 

For more information about becoming a member of the Long Island Center, get in touch today!