5 Hiring Tips for Small Businesses
When it’s time for your small business to grow, finding the right people is key. The right hire can make all the difference—and the wrong hire can be a mess. You need to do more than review resumes and interview applicants, you need to connect with candidates.
We’ve got five hiring tips to help you find the perfect fit:
1. Be Clear What You Need
Long before resumes and referrals, you need to figure out what you need. The more clear you are about what skills you need, the more likely you’ll find a great fit. So take some time at the beginning to sort through what you really need.
Think through what the role looks like:
How will this person help your team?
How will a new hire impact the bottom line?
What will happen if you don’t hire someone? (Never forget the cost of a missed opportunity.)
Does it need to be a full-time position or could it start as a part time role or even a freelance consultant? (Especially if this is a first hire, a part-time or consultant role can be an easier way to get started.)
2. Define a Process
Hiring a new employee can be a complicated process. There’s a lot to do and you don’t want to skip an important step or have an applicant fall through the cracks. You need to create a specific process so you can keep it organized and efficient.
Here are a few tips for creating a process:
Document your process so it can be repeated for each applicant and each open position.
Create pre-written responses so you can reply to applicants quickly and consistently.
Be willing to tweak and refine your process as you go. There’s always room for improvement.
3. Culture Matters
Your small business has a certain culture and feel, and every new hire is going to have a big impact on that culture—good or bad. So when you’re trying to fill a job, culture matters. You want someone who’s going to get the vibe around the office and be a positive addition.
This starts with your job description. Don’t craft a boring and lifeless description that could fit in any workplace. Write a unique job description that would only fit your company. Use your brand language and make sure it oozes your company culture.
As you’re interviewing candidates, remember that skills can be taught, but personality and culture are ingrained. Look for a good cultural fit first and foremost.
4. Sell Yourself
The emphasis in the job search process is often on the applicant. They need to make a good impression, polish their resume, and refine their interview skills. But it goes both ways. To get the best job candidates, your small business needs to make a good impression.
Invest in the process so you can attract the best talent. Write good job descriptions, anticipate common questions, respond in a timely manner, and be a human in the process.
5. What’s Next
Once you find the perfect candidate and offer the job, your hiring process still isn’t done:
You need a solid onboarding process to orient your new hire and make sure that good candidate can smoothly transition to a good employee.
Don’t ditch the candidates you didn’t hire. You never know when you’ll be hiring again, so hang on to those contacts.
Retention is just as important as hiring, so make sure you’re taking care of your new employee.
Hiring at Evolve Workplace
We love incubating small businesses in our coworking space and seeing them grow. Whether you’re outgrowing your home office and need more room for your new hires or just need a quiet space to conduct interviews, we’ve got space for you. Book a tour today.