How can small businesses compete in a labour market where so many sectors are struggling to recruit staff? SMEs do have certain advantages when it comes to recruitment and retention.
People especially the younger generation want meaningful roles, and it is much easier for small businesses to ensure all staff feel part of the company. Also smaller companies have much more opportunity to be flexible and nimble. So the key for you as a SME is to play to your strengths and to be imaginative as to how you recruit. As an SME you can use your flexibility to streamlines your recruitment process so that people are interviewed and offered jobs quickly, offer more flexible types of contracts, be flexible on how and where people work – all these things will enable you to compete with your larger competitors.
Traditional advertising can still work, but consider other channels, such as social media. Build links with local schools and colleges, as well as the government’s employment servicesCan you get your staff involved in finding new candidates and pay them a ‘finders’ bonus? Focus on the personal strengths you’re looking for from employees, rather than their qualifications or experience. Technical knowledge, after all, can be taught.
This might help you access a broader range of candidates – staff returning to the workplace after a period of caring, say, or people with disabilities, Is your workplace diverse and inclusive? Don’t answer these questions yourself, staff surveys and independent audits can be an excellent way to find out how people feel about working for you.
Then you can make positive changes if required. Getting this right means you’ll find it easier to retain staff, while happy employees can become ambassadors for your company. They may play that role informally, talking about your business as a good place to work, but also in more formal ways; for instance, getting good ratings on the growing number of websites where staff rank their workplaces can be a useful recruitment tool.
As for pay and benefits, be as competitive as your finances allow – and understand exactly what rivals are paying for staff you might recruit. If you can match that, great, but don’t be afraid to sell the other attractions of working for your business, which may be more important to many candidates. explore: everything from discount schemes with local retailers to more generous holiday terms, all of which might help sweeten the deal.
If you want more help and support with your recruitment strategy contact Margaret Adewale at the HR Dept Gloucester Tel: 01452 405280 or on linkedin.
