OCTOBER 13, 2016  Business owners know that employees can be a business’s lifeblood. High-quality workers who understand your company’s mission and strive to do their absolute best can help drive your success—which makes the topic of recruiting new employees an important one for business owners.

This very issue was covered at the HR Technology Conference  held October 10-13. The conference covered new and time-tested methods of recruiting new employees, which is especially helpful as the pursuit of the best and brightest can be challenging for small and even large businesses, believes Scott Wintrip, author of the upcoming book High Velocity Hiring: How to Hire Top Talent in an Instant.

Talent Shortage

“An ongoing talent shortage is pervasive across all industries,” says Wintrip. “Having been involved in hiring for more than three decades, I’ve watched both small and large companies struggle to fill open jobs in good and bad economic times. There have never been enough qualified candidates to go around, and ongoing innovations will continue to constantly create a vacuum for new skills. As globalization increases, borders will matter less, creating a talent competition unlike anything we’ve seen before.”

Emily White, co-founder of Dreamfuel  and Whitesmith Entertainment, agrees. “Currently, we are in a time of low unemployment, but even when those numbers are high, it is crucial that businesses recruit for the right fit, both for the company and employees,” says White, author of Interning 101. “When a small business doesn’t have effective recruiting methods, they are hurting themselves in both the short and long term by spinning wheels and wasting time and energy with folks who aren’t the right fit for the company.”

Tips for Recruiting New Employees

Adopting a powerful hiring process and more effective recruiting methods can go a long way toward ensuring that you hire the absolute best. “The old way of hiring—keeping a job open until the right person shows up—doesn’t work,” says Wintrip. “Instead, small business must engage in the new way of recruiting and hiring—cultivating top talent until the right job shows up.”

Adam Robinson, founder and CEO of Hireology, suggests business owners avoid waiting until they’re in a critical situation to begin the recruiting process. “Have the discipline as the leader of the business to spend at least 10 percent of your time each week on building a network of potential hires,” he says.Robinson and other business experts suggest keeping the following tips in mind when recruiting new employees.

Pay attention to your public presence. “By being active on social media, as well as keeping your website up to date, you attract candidates who are already drawn to and potentially passionate about what your company has going on,” says Robinson, who adds he prefers job candidates who apply based on an interest in the company.

“To lure top talent, it’s imperative that your business has a strong employment brand that showcases your culture,” he continues. “If a highly sought after candidate is deciding between multiple companies, and the work and salary are equal, that person is going to learn a great deal about what you have going on or not by researching your social media and web presence, so make sure to showcase what your company has to offer. Share what you can through social media and your website to appeal to candidates you are recruiting, or better yet, candidates [who] come to you because of your online presence.”

Ask for referrals. “Referrals have always been the most potent talent stream. Current employees, along with their family and friends, can connect you to thousands,” says White.

She also suggests not limiting your scope when asking for referrals. “Rather than just asking for names of those who are currently looking for jobs, ask for referrals to any qualified individuals, even if they aren’t interested, as they may be interested in changing jobs or know other talented individuals.”

Offer the potential for meaningful work. “Many employees report being tired of working in jobs that don’t give them a chance to use their natural abilities,” says Kathy Kolbe, chairman and chief creative officer of Kolbe Corp, and author of Business Is Business. “Such employees want purpose in their lives—not just a paycheck. Those small-business owners who can promise meaningful work when recruiting new employees will get more [promising] candidates.”

Photo: iStock