Recruiting for a small company involves creative thinking. To compete against big businesses with big budgets, you need to convince superstar employees and job candidates that your company offers something the big companies don’t.
The best job candidates often aren’t looking for a job. They don’t skim job ads or go to recruiting fairs. However, if you can catch their attention, you’re in a good position, since you’re not competing with a pool of employers. To get top players to join your firm, you need to build relationships long before you need to hire them. You need to sell them on your company before you ever start running ads.
Tips for recruiting in a small company
1. Put together an employee referral program. Reward your employees when their referrals result in a hire. Some companies even offer rewards to friends, family and the public, depending on how tight the job market may be.
2. Visit blogs, chat rooms, list servers and online communities frequented by your target employees. For example, software and engineering professionals often frequent Slashdot. Focus on employer branding while making meaningful contributions to the communities.
3. Hire back past employees. Personal circumstances may have led them away in the past, but that doesn’t mean you can’t lure them back.
4. Request business cards from people who impress you – and encourage seniors managers and staff members to do the same.
5. Hire a foreign worker.
6. Hire a non-traditional employee.
Related to recruiting for small companies
• Turning around turnover – how to keep the best employees
• Employer branding
• Recruitment strategies
