Small Business Recruiting: Make the Most of Your Size

Article

Recruiting employees can be a significant challenge for small businesses, especially when competing with larger companies. As a small business owner, you know all too well how tough it can be going up against more resource-rich companies to hire in-demand talent.

How can your company gain an edge? With creative small business recruiting techniques and employee retention strategies, you can attract highly skilled candidates and keep them on your team for the long term. We explore several small business recruiting strategies below that can help you make the most of your size and appeal to top talent more effectively.

Recruiting for a Small Business: 7 Ways to Attract Top Talent 1. Wow them with a great candidate experience 2. Offer competitive compensation and perks 3. Make being small a big selling point 4. Keep your technology up to date, or even leading-edge 5. Provide upskilling and employee development opportunities 6. Focus on building brand awareness 7. Hire contract professionals

One of the major advantages small businesses have in recruiting is the ability to offer a more streamlined hiring process. A positive candidate experience can set your small business apart from larger competitors with more resources but slower hiring processes and a less personal touch.

So, minimize the red tape and give potential hires a swift and responsive experience from the initial application to the final job offer.

While you may not be able to match the salaries larger firms offer, it’s essential to stay competitive within your market. Use resources like the Robert Half Salary Guide to benchmark salaries for your area and industry.

If providing competitive salaries is challenging, consider supplementing compensation with attractive perks, such as flexible schedules, remote work options and generous health benefits.

When interviewing potential hires, be sure to highlight the many benefits of working for a small business. For example, employees in smaller organizations often wear multiple hats, allowing them to acquire diverse skills and experiences quickly. And professionals eager to advance in their career will likely be attracted by the prospect of potentially moving up faster in a small company than they might in a larger business.

Many firms also provide a close-knit, collaborative work environment where employees can have more direct access to leadership. This visibility often leads to greater influence over decision-making and the ability to see the direct impact of their contributions. If this describes your company’s culture, underscore that fact to potential hires.

High-potential talent is typically drawn to companies where they can work with the latest technology and build their skills. Investing in modern tools and software, such as cloud-based project management, generative AI or the latest collaboration solutions, demonstrates your company’s commitment to staying competitive and providing fertile ground for innovation.

Investing in your employees’ growth is a win-win strategy. Offer employee training and development programs that allow your staff to gain new skills, particularly in emerging areas like generative AI and other tech tools.

These opportunities also support career advancement, which can help you not only attract in-demand talent, but retain it.

Raise the profile of your small business in your community and industry by promoting your company’s strengths. Whether it’s exceptional customer service, innovation or a strong commitment to work-life balance, prospective candidates need to know what sets your company apart from other organizations (of any size).

Engage in community events, sponsor local initiatives and encourage employees to share their positive experiences on social media. And remember, building brand awareness is not just about marketing — it’s about helping your small business earn a reputation as an employer of choice.

Engaging skilled contract professionals as part of a scalable staffing strategy is an effective way to keep projects on track at your small business as you work to recruit permanent employees.

Contract professionals can also alleviate the burden on your core staff and help keep burnout at bay In a recent Robert Half survey, 70% of small businesses said they plan on hiring contract workers to support seasonal and vacation coverage during the hectic holiday months.

Another benefit of this approach: You may find that the contract professionals you bring on board are the best candidates for the full-time positions you need to staff.

Contact Robert Half. Our staffing specialists can help you find skilled contract professionals ready to support your small business. And that’s just one way we can help with small business hiring.

14 Effective Employee Retention Strategies

Attract Top Talent With a Great Candidate Experience

12 Employee Benefits and Perks for Your Hiring and Retention Plan