6 Ways to Make Your Small Business an Employer of Choice

Canada’s labour shortage isn’t a new problem for small businesses, but it is a persistent one that looks like it will follow organizations right into the new year. As of October 2021, Canada’s unemployment rate was 5.2% (compared to 5.8% in October 2021) and there were more than 890,000 job vacancies (versus 915,545 during the fourth quarter of 2021) nationwide.

"Despite a robust recovery from the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian economic growth will continue slowing down due to persistent inflation and a historically tight labour market," Tu Nguyen, RSM Canada economist told Canadian HR Reporter. "But the real long-term challenge will be the labour shortage, with declining worker participation hitting the health care, hospitality and food services industries particularly hard."

Where companies that have dedicated human resources (HR) departments and wide brand recognition may have an advantage in the employee recruitment game, small to midsized firms that put in the extra effort may be able to position themselves as “employers of choice” in any job market.

Employers of choice may also experience lower employee turnover. “If your company is a great place to work, your employees will be less likely to leave for another opportunity,” Corporate Challenge Events points out. “They will also be more engaged and productive in their roles. Research shows that engaged employees are more likely to stay with their company, be less absent, and produce better work.”

6 Steps in the Right Direction

Here are six steps that small and midsized firms (SMBs) can take to attract new employees and keep their valued team members in place:

1. Make your job postings pop. Online job ads are so easy to publish these days that most of them lack the kind of detail, depth and selling points that today’s job candidates are looking for. Use appealing design and images, come up with a common name for the open position and include short, understandable job descriptions. Then, present your business in a separate section and use that space to highlight it’s an employer of choice. Be sure to optimize your posts by including the relevant keywords, specific job location and multimedia content (e.g., video clips).
2. Review incoming resumes daily. The job market is fast paced, which means you can’t afford to let those incoming resumes pile up. “Each day presents a new opportunity to find talented and capable professionals who would fit well into your organization,” Indeed advises. Assign someone to the daily review task and have them flag the best matches and reach out to those qualified applicants quickly.
3. Use automation to your advantage. You may automate much of the initial resume review with an applicant tracking system (ATS) to filter applicants according to your hiring needs. Using the software’s automatic rankings you can compare incoming resumes against job descriptions. The ATS then forwards the “highest matches” to the next stage of the recruiting process. “The software can’t make wise decisions about who to hire,” Business News Daily says, “but it simplifies relevant keywords in a resume, aligning candidates with your business’ needs and wants.”
4. Create a corporate culture that employees will love (and that they won’t want to leave). Defined as the “beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company's employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions,” corporate culture plays an important role in employee retention. It also sets the standard for new hires who experience the  culture firsthand and want to emulate and be a part of it. “Be intentional about whom you hire,” Business News Daily recommends. “Your company leadership also plays a huge role, as company culture usually flows from the top of the organization.”
5. Show that your company supports good work-life balance. Today’s job seekers are looking for more than just paychecks and benefits; they want jobs that support their lifestyles and allow flexibility. Employers of choice help their team members strike that work-life balance in a win-win manner that benefits both the organization and its employees. This is an especially important point for SMBs whose associates may wear multiple hats and take on a wide variety of duties. Some good options include providing paid holidays and time off, setting up remote work arrangements, providing onsite childcare and/or giving team members time off for volunteer activities. 
6. Help them carve out a future path with your company. Lay out clear and attainable career paths upfront, preferably during the interview process. Put yourself in the job seeker’s shoes and be prepared to answer questions like: What are the advancement opportunities with this specific position? How soon will I be eligible for a promotion? What cross-functional opportunities—those that don’t relegate them to a specific department or job function—can I experience? The answers to these questions will help job seekers better understand the opportunities that lie in front of them and make the right choice for themselves. 

Celebrate the Successes

When developing a recruiting and retention strategy for today’s labour-constrained marketplace SMBs should also focus on their current team members’ successes and accomplishments. According to a recent Bonusly survey, 82% of employees are happier when they’re recognized at work and 68% feel that these public recognitions have some impact on their potential  raise or promotion prospects. Small steps like celebrating work anniversaries, awarding prizes when the company meets its sales goals and distributing personalized thank-you notes can all go a long way in helping both your new and long-time team members feel valued and appreciated. 

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion on any issue. It should not be regarded as comprehensive or a substitute for professional advice.