Best Way to Recruit Staff? Promote your Business.

Are you promoting your company in the recruitment process?

In addition to writing a good job description and looking at different recruiting avenues, any small business also has to think about its image while seeking new staff. Many business owners see the number of resumes they get in response to job postings as a sure sign their company is a desirable one to work for. But the business environment is constantly changing, and as a small business owner one of the best ways to ensure your own success is to continuously recruit the top people in your field. In order to do this, you must be prepared to sell your brand to potential recruits.

Just as bad buzz can harm your recruitment chances, a positive image can act in your favour. Positive feedback, like negative feedback, can come from different sources, such as previous employees, clients and even your competition.

For new recruits who may not be familiar with your company, it also comes from the image your company projects in the marketplace through your marketing plan and overall market presence. Your social media presence, your participation in trade organizations or chambers of commerce, and your reputation are all ways your company is present in the larger business environment.

Potential candidates will research your company based on these factors when deciding where they want to work. Hiring the most desirable staff can be a lot like competing for customers.

Before writing a job posting consider the following points:

• What are the advantages of working for your company?
• Why does your company have to offer potential employees that is unique in your market?
• What tangible benefits are offered (ie. health plan, flexible work hours, bonuses, etc.)?

Once you have factored these aspects into your job description and determined the best places to post the listing (as previously discussed, a mixture of social media and traditional avenues), it will be time to short-list and interview candidates.

You should also be highlighting the advantage of working for your company during the interview process and stress the advantages of working for a small company versus a large company.

For example:

• Small businesses often provide the chance for employees to do a greater variety of roles and gain more experience than in larger companies.
• When working for a small business, employees tend to have more influence on the overall direction of the business.

If you position your business as a leader in the field during the recruitment process – and have the reputation to back it up – top potential employees will be more likely to want to work for you.