Many small companies are struggling to get into a position where they are fully staffed and able to operate effectively. Currently, unemployment rates are hovering right around 4%. This means that there aren’t a lot of candidates in the market who are pursuing new opportunities. In turn, this makes hiring more challenging than ever, especially for smaller companies who don’t have an internal recruiting resource.
Over the last three months, I have had the opportunity to meet and talk with small business owners from all over the country, and I work with a variety of businesses which all operate in different industries ranging from healthcare, financial services, construction, distribution, manufacturing, and independent medical offices. Each of these businesses have one thing in common – one of their biggest challenges to date is being able hire and retain quality employees.
In order to thrive and grow, it is imperative that business leaders know how to hire and retain the right people. Hiring someone just to fill a seat isn’t going to solve any problems, and it’s likely going to create more issues in the long run because companies will have to backfill the position in a matter of months. If you thought you didn’t have time to recruit, you definitely don’t have the bandwidth to train, then rehire and train a second new employee!
Below are a few tips that small businesses can use to be more competitive in attracting and hiring talent.
Job boards are not always the most effective way to find great talent.
You can’t rely on job postings to find the best candidates in today’s competitive market. We already know that hiring is a struggle for companies in all areas of businesses and of all sizes, and companies are doing everything in their power to retain their employees, especially the ones that bring raw value to your company (for example, you have a competent employee who is highly reliable and someone that you enjoy working with on a daily basis… hang on to them!). With companies making employee retention a key focus, employees are not actively seeking new opportunities, so the chances of them seeing the position that your company posted on a job board are slim to none.
Posting a job on a job board is easy—a couple clicks and you’re done! You can then shift your focus back to the list of tasks that require your attention. But what are the results that you’re getting from those applications? I recently attended a recruiting seminar where the speaker shared an alarming, though not surprising, statistic. Seventy-four percent of online job applicants are not qualified for the positions that they apply to. Seventy-four percent!
Companies need to be more intentional with their recruiting approach.
Companies need to take a direct, targeted approach to reaching the type of candidates that they are looking to hire into a specific role. How do they do this? Network with potential candidates at industry events, attend career fairs, ask current employees for referrals and utilize a recruiting service to help you find the right candidate. It may take time to find a company that you feel comfortable working with and representing your brand, but it’s their job to present you with the best candidates so that you can focus on running your business.
Making the hiring process as quick and efficient as possible.
At this point, it’s clear that there is a major shortage of talent in this ultra-competitive market. Businesses, especially smaller ones, cannot afford to lose out on a solid candidate all because the hiring process is too long. When you are bringing a candidate in for an interview, it is imperative that the hiring process is minimized. If your typical process is for an individual to come in and interview with the hiring manager, be invited back for a second round of interviews to meet with individuals on the team and another manager, and then be invited back again for a final interview with one of the executives or the business owner, chances are this candidate will be gone before you can schedule the final step. If a candidate is active and looking for a new opportunity, your company is most likely not the only one on their radar. A shorter interview process does not mean less thorough or comprehensive. The interview process can still be in-depth and thorough, and be conducted over a one or two-day period. It may just take a little extra effort in working to align calendars for those participating in the interview process. Unpredictable situations still happen with small businesses so it’s very possible that one of the interviewers may unavoidably be pulled in another direction. It’s important to have a backup/alternate interviewer slated to fill in just in case.
Ideally, the goal should be to have all interviews completed in one day and for the interviewers to debrief the same day in order to make a timely and effective decision. Be aware of other companies who already have this strategy in place. Those companies who have a concise and engaging process are the ones securing talent!
Leveraging the candidate experience.
The candidate experience has long been an underrated concept. Companies are no longer in a position where they are in the driver’s seat and calling all of the shots when it comes to interviewing. It has become a two-way street.
Candidates now have the power to pick and choose which companies and roles they want to pursue opportunities with. That is why it is imperative that a candidate not only has a good experience when they come in for an interview, but a memorable one. You want the candidate to leave the interview and be able to envision themselves working at your company. But how do you do that?
• Don’t leave the candidate sitting alone in a conference room… waiting. Be on time and thank the candidate for showing interest in your role and the company. You wouldn’t want them to show up late and scattered, so try and hold the same etiquette.
• Engage in genuine conversation with the candidate rather than hammering them with situational questions. They are humans looking to be a part of your team! Find out why they are interested in the role. Let them know the essential skills that are required for the position and allow them to explain their qualifications and experience as it relates to the open role. Both the interviewer and the interviewee will have a much more productive conversation when both are comfortable and are able to openly converse. It’s hard to really get to know a person and their personality when the conversation consists of the routine questions like “tell me about your experience at,” or, “tell me about a time you…” I’m not saying you have to go into the depths of their entire existence, just enough to get a feel of who they are beyond what’s written on paper.
• Give them a short tour of your office. Let them see where they’d be spending 40+ hours a week. Introduce them to other individuals in the office and give them a chance to ask questions. This will allow them to have a true sense of what the office culture is like.
• Provide the candidate with a timely response. Don’t make the candidate wait for a week or two to hear back on whether they will be moving forward in the process. If they’re interviewing with your company, it probably means they’re interviewing other places too. Make it easy for the candidate to say yes! The reality is, the longer you make a candidate wait to hear a response, the lower they think they are on your list. They will then prioritize other opportunities because they feel that they are not a top candidate being considered for your open position.
As small businesses continue to increase in number, it’s more important than ever to understand the struggles so that they can not only grow, but grow successfully and profit from the people they hire. Any great football coach would take the time to recruit, train, and guide their players to get them ready for a successful and victorious season. Why should businesses be any different?