When and how
to hire great employees
When and how to hire great employees into your small business
Hiring the right employees is not always a painless process – but it’s key if you’re looking to grow your small business. These effective employee recruitment strategies will help you attract top talent and drive your business forward.
When to hire new employees in your small business
Increased sales (and therefore workload), struggling to complete day-to-day tasks, needing to put in extra hours; these can all be signs that your small business is growing. To be able to offer the same quality of service and avoid customer complaints and turning down work, you’ll need to grow your team, hiring people with specific skills.
If you notice increases and drops in demand, temporary employees, freelancers, or independent contractors can be a good option – especially if you’re thinking about offering new products or services. And you can always enquire about hiring them as full-time employees once the growth feels permanent.
If your company isn’t growing, but your daily workload prevents you from creating a growth strategy, then you might need to hire professionals that could help you focus on getting that growth.
How to identify your hiring needs
Before you start the hiring process, you need to identify your business’s specific needs, such as what roles you need to fill and how these will support your business goals. You should also consider the specific qualifications and characteristics of the ideal candidate. For example, depending on the position, you might need to consider if this person needs to excel as part of a team, or feel confident working independently.
Top tip: To make this task easier, consider current top performers in your business and identify the qualities that set them apart.
How to find great employees
Once you have a clear understanding of your hiring needs, you can optimise your recruitment strategy. Here are some tips to finding great employees:
Create compelling job descriptions
Job descriptions are the first opportunity to engage with potential employees, so they need to be clear, concise, and compelling. They also need to include key information about the role such as:
- Job title and summary – Use accurate titles and provide an overview of the job.
- Responsibilities – Include day-to-day responsibilities and expected deliverables and explain where the role sits within the wider team/business.
- Qualifications – Be specific about required and preferred skills and experience.
- Company culture – Promote your business’ values and people, explaining what it’s like to work for your company.
- Benefits – Highlight your company’s unique selling points, including key details such as a salary range, flexibility, and remote working policy.
Top tip: Make sure your descriptions are inclusive and avoid gender specific language to promote equality and reach a wider range of qualified applicants.
Advertise the position
Once you’ve created your job description, use the right channels to reach your target audience. Social media channels like LinkedIn, job boards like indeed and Glassdoor, and industry-specific websites and publications are great tools to share job openings, saving time and effort. To get more visibility you can also promote your job ad to reach the right people.
Top tip: Don’t forget to keep your company site up to date with the most recent listing for a consistent candidate experience.
Make the most of the interview
Interviews are great to check if the candidate is the right fit for your business. Take the opportunity to ask about biggest accomplishments, failures (and crucially what they learnt from these), and why they want to work for your company. Include behavioural questions to see how candidates have solved problems and handled challenges in the past and ask about their values and work style to make sure they fit your company’s culture. This will also help you understand if they’ve done their research and raise any red flags, such as lack of preparation.
Top tip: Ask for referrals from previous employers.
Remember to prioritise attitude and work ethic
Sometimes, new hires might have the necessary technical skills but lack work ethic. Make sure your employees have both the necessary expertise but also soft skills, like teamwork and collaboration. Remember that technical skills can be taught through training, so it might be beneficial to hire candidates that have all the soft skills you seek but are eager to gain more experience and grow.
Top tip: Once you’re ready to make an offer, you’ll need to create a letter of offer and employment contract. You can build your employment contract here.
Explore more digital marketing tips and strategies in our Small Business Library.
