Between getting the word out, accepting and culling through resumes, setting up interviews and doing background checks, you have your work cut out for you. Moreover, you want to make sure that the best person for the job is hired.
There are several steps you must take to ensure that you do, indeed, hire the right person. Please read on as we look at seven small business hiring strategies.
1. Set the job parameters. If the new individual is filling an existing position, than your work here is not as difficult. Still, you may need to redefine what the position is all about before seeking job candidates. You need to be as detailed as possible too, listing every skill set required and tasks to be accomplished — from the highly critical to the mundane.
2. Consider temp to perm. What if you are not certain that a candidate is up for the job? One way to handle this is to hire a temporary worker and evaluate their work as they go. You will pay a fee for this service, a cost that will come in higher than hiring a full-timer right off the bat. However, you will also get the chance to see this person in action — if she is a good fit, then you can extend a permanent offer. If not, you can cut and run.
3. Raid your competitors. Likely, your closest competitors have similar people employed in positions that you already have. Through networking, industry events and other meet ups, you may know some of these people by name. Consider these individuals when looking for a job candidate, a worker that may be able to slip in to a new position with a much shorter learning curve.
4. Develop a competitive package. You need to offer a competitive salary and benefits package to attract and retain the best workers. This means surveying the market and learning what salaries are offered and benefits expected. Use salary surveys from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to find out the pay scale, drilling down to identify what people make in your area. Call other companies in your area too in a bid to learn what a position is paying.
5. Get the word out. You may have put out initial feelers for the job. Now you need to broadcast the position broadly. There are a number of ways you can handle this. First, update your website to announce the job opening. Second, post your opening on Internet job sites. Third, send out a tweet announcing your opening. Fourth, depending on the position offered, you can notify your state’s employment office. Exhaust every avenue available, being mindful that you may be flooded with job applicants.
6. Know your job candidates. Make a bad hire and you will pay dearly for your mistake. You may not fully grasp the importance and cost of a bad hire, but that expense can drag down your business. Never mind what it can do to everyone’s morale. Be thorough about your job searches, verifying a candidate’s background and exhausting every reference and background check possible. Interview your candidates and see how they interview you. Yes, it is a two-way street, one that you see is well traveled one too.
7. Pitch your job offer. With your top candidates identified, pitch a job offer to your best candidate. Offer the best deal possible, but leave a little room for negotiation. Understand what this person’s particular needs are and meet them. For instance, if you are hiring a working mother who needs to take off early on Tuesday afternoons to take her daughter to piano lessons, work around her hours to demonstrate flexibility. Top performing workers know when they are respected and when accommodations are made.
Moving Forward
Should you rush the hiring process? No, not if you want to risk getting the wrong person for the job. Successful businesses employ a “slow to hire, quick to fire” strategy, one that can and should work for you.
See Also — What Staffing Do You Need to Start a Business?
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