Hiring employees has been difficult for many employers in the current job market. This is a result of a number of factors including an aging workforce, the “great resignation” and a booming economy. While this will change in time, due to economic factors beyond the control of many small and medium businesses, right now if you are looking to hire employees, here are five things you might consider that will improve your chances of success.
1. Consider your brand image and spend your marketing dollars on hiring people. Most companies spend most of their time and energy in trying to attract and retain new customers. In times like these, smart businesses are changing their marketing strategies to attract new employees. This means re-evaluation of your brand, your website and your marketing materials to ensure that they align with your value proposition for new employees.
2. Be Flexible: I was working with a business owner recently who was adamant that they couldn’t be flexible with the position they were offering because they were worried that other employees within the firm might get the idea that there was room for flexibility within the current scheduling for employees. The current inflationary reality is that there are going to be more and more people who will need to be creative in solving their personal financial woes. This means that you might have to schedule around housewives and mothers or fathers who are looking after their children. Students who have skills you need or people who are traveling to work with you.
3. Reach out to your old staff members. Recently I was talking to a business leader who said one of his best methods of recruiting was reaching out to old staff members and asking them if they know of anyone who might be a good fit for the organization. This resulted in people who were either engaged in helping the organization find good people or in a couple of cases retired staff coming back and others who were not happy at the employer they left for returning to the organization.
4. Do the obvious: Look at your wages and benefits and make sure they are in line with your competition. Oftentimes we need to recognize that we may have to pay more than we have in the past to get the same work done. Paying more than the going wage can enable you to have the staff you need to make money. The obvious also includes engaging your current employees and finding ways to make it beneficial for them to help you hire the right people.
5. Be Creative: Tough times require creative thinking. Your ability to think outside the box in attracting staff can set you apart from the competition. What can you do in terms of retirement savings plans, or work from home plans? If your staff can’t afford to move and work for you because they can’t find housing, can you buy housing and provide it for them. Do you need to provide a daycare or eldercare? Creativity counts when you can solve your prospective employees' pain points to enable them to come and work for you.
Hiring employees is difficult at the moment but developing some creative strategies can make a big difference in either having the people you need to run a successful operation or burning out those people you have existing in your organization.
Dave Fuller, MBA, is an Award Winning Business Coach and the author of the books Profit Yourself Healthy and Pivotal Performance. Questions about your hiring process? Email dave@pivotleader.com