Six Tips for Hiring When You're a Small Business

If you’re a small business owner and you’re reading this, congratulations on growing your business. It’s that first little taste of success that requires expansion, and with expansion comes the need for more employees. Sometimes it’s hard to compete with larger corporations when you’re just starting out because they get great deals on large health insurance packages or corporate discounts on gym memberships. But developing a good rapport with your employees and treating them well can be just as important as large corporate perks. Here are six tips for attracting and hiring great candidates when you’re a small business:

• Avoid nepotism – While it may be easy to start within your personal network of family and friends, many small businesses poison the well with nepotism and favoritism, which can breed a negative corporate culture later on. Definitely take referrals from trusted business contacts, but don’t allow someone to bring your business down if the quality of work isn’t up to par just because it’s your sister or your neighbor you’ve hired.
• Find like-minded, passionate individuals – Go where your industry professionals are and search for candidates who are passionate about what they do. Trade shows, expos and conferences are all great opportunities to network and talk to people outside of a job interview setting so you can really get a feel for who they are and what they’re looking for.
• Be flexible – There’s one perk you can offer that is often worth more than a larger salary or great benefits package, and that’s flexibility. Have you ever heard anyone gush about how they love being crammed in a cubicle 40 hours a week? When you allow your employees to work flexible schedules, make their own office hours or telecommute, you’re offering freedom to live their lives outside of work, be there for their families and just be generally healthier and happier. Healthy, happy employees are loyal employees who will work harder to help you build your small business.
• Impress your potential employees – When candidates are interviewing for a job, they’re also assessing you and your company. Conduct yourself professionally and give them good reasons to want to work with you. Give them a sense of what your corporate culture is and why you want to succeed as a team alongside your job candidate.
• Be picky – It’s expensive to hire and train someone, so you want to make sure you’re choosing the best possible person for the job. If you’ve interviewed all your candidates and still aren’t excited about any of them, go out and find more. Because everyone works closely together in a small business, if you have one weak link in your business, it can really drag down the rest of your team and spoil your morale. Finding quality team members is so much more important when you’re working on a small team.
• Take referrals – Your team is an important asset and can help you find the best candidates to add. Chances are they have already worked in your profession and have some good contacts outside of their network of friends and family. They may already have candidates in mind and can vouch for their work ethic. Reward your employees with a bonus or incentive for referring quality candidates to you.

Excelsior Pay Group offers Human Resources solutions for busy professionals. If you need guidance on hiring, we are here to help. Contact us today.