Too often small-business owners feel at a disadvantage when hiring new employees. They don’t have the budget to offer big benefit packages, large salaries or bonus programs the way that a lot of the large corporations can. Plus sometimes they may have a small pool of candidates to choose from because job seekers either don’t like the idea of working for a smaller employer or believe that smaller businesses run lean and mean and, therefore, lack stability and growth opportunity. Some small business owners might construe this to mean they are at a hiring disadvantage. This is true only if they don’t make the right decisions about their hiring process.
Hire for Fit and Train for the Job
One of the biggest hiring mistakes that organizations of all sizes make when hiring employees is to hire the candidate who is the most highly educated and who has the all the right skills to do the job without giving consideration to how this person fits within the organization’s culture and value system. Even though someone can use all the latest technology or has extensive knowledge in a field or industry that doesn’t make them the best candidate for your position.
In the April 28, 2011, Fortune article, “Is it better to hire for culture fit over experience?” writer Ethan Rouen reports that because the workplace culture varies within organizations – even within companies in the same industry – the skills employees learn at one organization can sometimes conflict with those of another company. That could mean you will need to spend hours of retraining only to wind up with an employee who doesn’t fit with the organization’s dynamics.
Instead of looking for the perfect match when it comes to work experience and skills, small business owners are better off seeking candidates who demonstrate the qualities that will make them successful on the job. Better to hire someone who works well with others, learns quickly, meets deadlines, follows through on projects, gets to work on time and needs some on-the-job training than to hire someone with bad habits to break.
Show What Your Firm Has to Offer
Business owners who feel like they are behind the eight ball because their small company can’t offer three weeks of paid vacation or a matching 401k plan need to rethink what their organization does have to offer.
The article, “Why Work for a Small Company,” points out that visibility, skill development and growth opportunities are just a few of the things that many small employers can offer employees. Having the chance to wear many hats, to develop new skills and expand their knowledge, and to learn the business from front to back can be a great inducement to many workers. Plus working in a smaller, more family-oriented work environment where the boss understands the needs of working parents, where you’re allowed to bring your dog to work and/or where work/life balance is part of the value system is attractive to many employees.
Spread the Word about Your Needs
Very often when small businesses recruit, their budget is tight so they look for the least expensive method for finding candidates. This is fine as long as multiple methods of search are utilized; otherwise, you might wind up with a cookie-cutter population.
One company that relied heavily on employee referrals found themselves in a bit of a jam with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) when their Affirmative Action Plan showed little diversity in the employee population. The reason: a homogenous employee population that just kept referring similar people.
As Sean Silverthorne suggests in his July 29, 2011 blog, "Better Ideas Through Culturally Diverse Teams," cultural diversity is key to promoting the flow of new ideas and concepts. Better to seek candidates in a variety of places in order to attract a variety of employees with a variety of talents.
Consider posting jobs on your website, networking with local groups such as the Chamber of Commerce or professional associations, and utilizing social networking – Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter – to their fullest. Small companies might even want to seek out federal and state resources for assistance.
Even if your company isn’t in a hiring mode right now, you should be prepared for the future. Have systems and contacts in place before you need them. That’s one of the smartest moves that can help small business owners with hiring.
Deborah S. Hildebrand - Deborah S. Hildebrand is a freelance writer & HR consultant with 20+ years in human resources & a Bachelor's degree in Business.
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