By: Roberta Chinsky Matuson
When it comes to hiring employees, your small company can leverage the downturn to effectively onboard higher-level candidates.
Patricia Hunt Sinocole, CEO and founder of First Beacon Group LLC believes this is the ideal time to seek talent for several reasons. “First, there are many strong candidates that are looking. Many candidates were holding back job-seeking efforts in late 2008 and 2009. The feeling was that ‘at least I have a job’ or the ‘known is better than the unknown.’ I am finally seeing some movement,” states Sinocole.
Denise Horan, Principal, Integrated Management & Sales Consulting notes there are great people, many who are unemployed due to no fault of their own, that are seeking work. Like Sinacole, Horan thinks this is a very transitional time for many workers. “If you are employed, you may be overworked or underappreciated,” states Horan. “If you are unemployed due to a downsizing, you are ready and willing to work hard for someone else.”
Use the Fall to do Spring Cleaning
It is difficult to get better results from your team if your workplace includes procrastinator employees who are merely taking up space. Sinocole suggests asking, “If you had to hire this person again, knowing what you know now, would you?” This question really helps small business owners and hiring managers identify the keepers and those that are not keepers. If that’s the case, be sure you know how to handle an employee termination. But sometimes, when you take the time to look around, you realize that what you have is best.
Competing with the Big Guys for Talent
Many small businesses find that standing out in a large sea of employers is a tall order, when it comes to attracting top talent. It doesn’t have to be that way. There are a number of ways you can make your small company stand out to job candidates.
According to Sinocole, there are many small companies that are not household names that have certainly created a lot of “buzz” in the employment marketplace. “It is important for small businesses who are building their brand to treat candidates in a warm, professional and friendly manner. These impressions are lasting. Word of mouth is powerful!” says Sinocole.
Ann Latham, President of president of Uncommon Clarity, Inc., a firm that helps clients achieve superior results faster and with greater confidence, believes the biggest disadvantage many small businesses have is an inferiority complex when it comes to attracting talent. “Attracting top talent is a sales job. Why do your employees like working for you?
Typical advantages that help drive employee motivation include the ability to make a difference and acquire a wide range of skills and experiences quickly, greater variety and flexibility, and the potential for a rapid increase in responsibility,” states Latham. This information should be imbedded in your recruitment collateral and included on your website as part of your small business marketing strategy.
Horan suggests marketing yourself locally by putting out good press. Announce your successes through press releases and participate in charity events or community service to engage with potential candidates. Horan adds, “Many workers admire that and may want to be part of that type of corporate culture.
Connecting the Recruiting Dots
Reign in your recruitment strategy by starting with your own people. Good people tend to associate with other good people. Ask your star performers if they know of anyone who might be a good fit for the organization. If possible, offer a bonus for employer referrals to get your employees thinking more earnestly about this. Use your connections in the community and don’t forget to ask your vendors and clients if they know of people who might fit the bill.
Organizations are really pumping up the use of social media to get the word out about job opportunities. Use social media platforms as part of your social media recruiting and hiring strategy and to link people to jobs posted on Monster.
Keeping your Hiring Real
Latham reminds business owners to hire what they need. “Terms like ‘top talent’ or ‘great talent’ conjure images of award-winning, Ivy-degreed innovators who sit indisputably at the extreme end of a giant talent yardstick,” says Latham. It may be great for your ego to hire the overqualified candidate, but will this person still be there the moment the economy shows signs of improvement?
A down economy is a great time to take stock of the talent on hand and to upgrade where necessary. Just don’t wait too long, as economists are already predicting a recovery is just around the corner.
© 2010 Human Resource Solutions. All Rights Reserved.
Author Bio:
Roberta Chinsky Matuson is the President of Human Resource Solutions and is the author of the forthcoming book, Suddenly in Charge: Managing Up, Managing Down, Succeeding All Around, (Nicholas Brealey, January 2011) Her firm helps organizations accelerate productivity and profitability by increasing employee engagement. Sign up to receive Roberta’s complimentary newsletter, HR Matters.