Recruiting employees is an investment of time, money and resources for any company. But the importance of identifying the right candidate for each position is often undervalued. Perfecting this ‘match-making’ task might just be the crucial reason behind a company going up the success ladder.
Unlike a large company that might invest time in training after recruitment, the employee in an SME is expected to be ready from the word go.
The other problem faced by small and medium enterprises (SME) is competition from rival companies to attract talented employees. Even if you do manage to recruit a top-tier employee, how do you ensure that the candidate you hired stays long enough to contribute to the growth of your company? Oftentimes we hear of employee-boss relationships falling apart, with the result that the employee starts looking for options outside.
On the other hand there are successful boss-employees teams that have stood the test of time and made significant contributions to a company’s success story. How does that happen?
More precisely, how does an SME hire and keep the best people, given the list of challenges they have to overcome?
Related: Startup stories: CYD Tech Lab
Tips on attracting the best employees
Here are a few recommendations that could help you attract a high-quality talent pool.
- An excellent job description.
- Pay scale.
- Perks.
If you’re advertising for a position, consider the following points.
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1. An excellent job description
The first step in recruiting employees you’ll be proud to know is to write a great job description.
If you’re looking for the best, they are also seeking out their best options.
A generic job description does not attract high-quality candidates to apply for a post. So ensure the profile you advertise on job portals and websites is specific enough to entice the best talent out there.
Be sure to mention why the employee should look forward to working in your organization. What separates you from the rest of the companies? Give a concise description of the company work culture that might help a potential employee make the decision sooner to interview with you.
Related: How to start a small business in India
2. Pay scale
The pay scale you determine for a position is a direct indication of the value you associate with the position.
Be wise and make the best offer if the candidate is worthy.
Provide a hint by mentioning that the pay would match the best in the industry for the right candidate. If the person is perfect, and you are able to retain them, you have saved yourself a lot of trouble and expense by avoiding going into the job market a few months later for the same position.
3. Perks
Good perks increases the value the potential employee assigns to the role offered. Attractive perks might be:
- Flexible hours
- Allowances towards house rent or availing a company-leased apartment
- A car
- Phone bills
- Memberships to social organizations
- Travel and hotel accommodation while travelling for work
Go ahead and make any perks you offer known to the right candidate. It could be the thing that makes them choose you over another worthy offer.
Enlarge your candidate pool
Don’t rely on online job boards only to attract the candidates. Utilize your official network to the maximum. Spread the word in your professional network, such as LinkedIn, so that your contacts can refer candidates to you. This works out to your advantage.
A recommendation from a colleague or alumnus ensures higher reliability on the skills of the candidate.
You can simply call your contact to understand the personal strengths and weaknesses of the job applicant. A recommendation from a contact stands proof for the candidate’s previous performance.
The need for an expensive and elaborate background check is reduced or even eliminated in such cases.
Related: How to get a company ID you’ll be proud of
Keeping them once they’re here
This leads us to the next question: How exactly do you ensure the employee stays with your company?
Motivation is the key. No employee can perform to the optimum when motivation levels are low. And a manager is in the best position to ensure your employee stays with the company.
Here are a few tips that managers can implement for employee retention.
Management style
Keep an open environment and stay approachable to your subordinates. Your role as a supportive leader will gain more appreciation than a cold and stiff approach towards your team.
By staying approachable, you’re also the first to hear of red flags before the problem grows into a crisis situation. You can probably nip it in the bud.
Appreciation
Appreciation is usually held back for an employee who has worked long hours for the success of a project. This only hampers growth.
Appreciation is an immense morale booster for all your subordinates.
It also helps building a better relationship with your team. It could be as simple as taking out a couple of minutes to verbally convey your appreciation.
Sending out company-wide or team-wide congratulatory mails in recognition of an employee’s performance is another way to boost their social status within the organization.
Eye on growth
Ensure there is a personal growth path for the employees that are tied to the growth of the company. If they were the reason behind a recent profit, a good appraisal and a salary hike should be exercised at the end of a term.
Consistently results-oriented employees showing leadership capacity can be rewarded with employee stock options.
Having a personal stake in your company instils a greater sense of ownership and a greater interest in the overall success of the company.
Employee wellness
Are your employees stressed or overworked? Implement a focus on wellness into your work culture. For example, you could:
- Introduce memberships or discounts to a nearby gym.
- Have a dormitory with bunk beds set up for employees to rejuvenate with a power nap.
- A class in yoga every fortnight or once a month is a great way to de-stress.
- Team parties or celebratory events to commemorate major milestones are great ways of adding a fun quotient to work.
Don’t forget the value of flex time. Flexible schedules a few days a month or work-from-home option a day or two each month improves work-life balance.
Time spent recruiting employees pays off
Good employees are valuable assets. Aim to provide a positive working environment where the management culture is less micromanaging and more participatory.
This will aid the team towards better focus and staying motivated in the workplace. Take your strategy beyond just recruiting employees to keeping them and you can steer your company towards long-term success.
