Recruiting the right people for your business is as vital as managing finances and generating sales. Business owners have a far better chance of being successful with talented and motivated people on board.

But good people can be hard to find. Online job advertising has become the source of new talent for many small business owners around the country. That growth has been fuelled by the widespread use of the internet during job search in tandem with the increasing time pressure being felt by small businesses hiring employees.

Recruiting Tips for Your Small Business

1. Cut-through job advertising
2. Use applicant managing software
3. Find the right hire

Cut-through job advertising for small business owners

Remember that this advertisement may be the first time your ideal candidate has heard of your business. Just as you spend time and effort optimising your communications for customers, so should you ensure that your recruitment comms has cut through. Every small business owner must ensure their recruitment messaging is focused on their desired candidate.

Search words are key

Always think about the job hunter when writing your recruitment listing. Your online advert will achieve a better search results page position if the words that the job hunter searches on are in your job title.

Get your key messages upfront

Online adverts usually appear in job searches displaying a summary of the role. By describing the role’s key benefits in the first 400 characters (e.g. salary, perks, flexible working practices, nearby transport links, etc.), your job posting will entice job hunters to view the entire job posting.

Be personal

As a small business owner, it is essential to communicate a very personal approach. Talk about your small business with terms like “we” and avoid phrases like “the successful candidate” or “the ideal applicant”. Simply use the word “you”. Also, wherever possible, use colloquial terms familiar to your candidate’s demographic.

Be specific in your job description

Articulating what you need will lead to suitable candidates applying to your job posting and a reduction in time spent weeding out unsuitable candidates. Make sure you provide details such as:

• Job title
• Salary
• Benefits
• Specific location
• Key projects/tasks performed
• Key attributes required for the job
• How to apply

Managing applicants as part of small business hiring

One of the reasons that recruitment is so resource-intensive, is that managing applicants can be very time-consuming. There is application tracking software available to help. Using application tracking software can assist you to more effectively and efficiently manage your applications. This software addresses every part of the recruitment process, from screening your potential employees to onboarding a new hire.

Finding the right hire

When you have a list of candidates with the same qualifications, it can be challenging to pick the right prospect. Small business owners looking to hire new employees should focus not only on a prospect’s qualifications and experience but also on how they will fit into your company. Do they share your company vision? Will they suit your working culture? These are all questions that business owners should be considering. It is also helpful to consider the engagement levels of all potential new employees to ensure that they will be happy and productive in their new position.

Online recruitment: a cost-effective pathway to the best talent

The best business owners now recognise the value of online recruitment software. Recruitment software for small business makes sure that the process is pared down to the essentials and offers an improved way of learning about your candidate and what they can provide your business. Using recruitment software and applicant tracking ensures that you are not spending a lot of time and money on the initial aspects of hiring. This type of technology allows you to sift through a much larger talent pool to retain the best people for interviews.

Some small businesses are even starting to use video and online oral questionnaires in their search for the most high tech and cost-effective HR solutions for small business. Getting a sense of what the candidate is all about before investing time and money in the interview process will immediately impact your bottom line and ensure that you are hiring the best people to drive your business forward.