One of the key elements of success for most startups is attracting skilled, experienced talent. As critical as it is to attract the right individuals to work for you, the unfortunate reality is that these individuals often know their value and look for an excellent compensation package.
Your company may not have the ability to afford the salary and benefits that they may be offered from a larger company. However, you cannot afford to miss the opportunity to hire the right individuals for your openings, and you need to find an effective to overcome your challenges and recruit qualified talent. These valuable tips will help you to attract the right individuals to join your team.
Develop Your Company’s Vision
While you may not be able to offer an incredible salary and benefits right away, you may be able to offer something that larger companies may not. As an entrepreneur, you likely are very passionate about the vision for your company and the potential for growth. You can attract talented applicants with your vision for the company and its overall mission. After all, you want the applicant to be as excited about your company as you are.
Your applicant will likely research your company online, so create an About Us page that can get others excited about the work that you do and where the company is head. During the interview, take the additional step to describe your vision up front and to accept any questions the applicant may have about your company.
Build a Great Work Culture
Most job applicants want to find a great place to work where they can feel comfortable and happy. They may be opposed to working in a stuffy, corporate environment with an overbearing boss. This is why you need to focus on building and maintaining a culture where your employees enjoy coming to work.
During the interview, discuss your company’s culture and your overall management style. You want to show the applicants that your company is an amazing place to work and that each employee is valued for their efforts and contributions. You can even let applicants meet some of your employees so that they can see how relaxed and upbeat your office environment is.
Look Beyond Job Websites
In order to attract and recruit top talent who may be eager to join a young company, you may need to generate interest in non-traditional ways. For example, you may want to skip the main job websites that most companies use. Instead, use social media strategically.
You can announce an opening through LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. This way, you can generate interest from others who you may already know professionally or from their referrals. These applicants may therefore already have heard great things about you and your business before the interview.
The importance of social recruiting lies in the fact that it gives you access to a wider talent pool by enabling you to get under the radar of employees who aren’t actively looking for a new position.
Enable Development Opportunities
Another great selling point that you could focus on relates to on-the-job training and educational opportunities. Many professionals want to have a chance to improve their skills and help advance their careers. When you provide extra training and educational opportunities regularly, you can attract and even retain very talented and skilled individuals.
Remember that you can also offer internal advancement opportunities. Sell the fact that you will look internally when hiring for new positions before you look outside the company.
Offer Appealing Benefits
Even when you focus heavily on selling your corporate culture and vision for the future, you also need to give employees something tangible to hold onto. Depending on your budget and future plans, you may offer a great healthcare package. Healthcare is a hot topic for many people today, and a good healthcare plan can go a long way toward generating interest in your company.
You may also offer a small share of ownership in your company. This may make up for the fact that you may only be able to afford a nominal or moderate salary. In addition, this will give the individual a vested interest in the company’s success.
Final Thoughts
Startups generally do not have the power or the deep pockets necessary to recruit highly qualified individuals. However, smaller companies can combat this challenge in numerous ways. Examine these tips careful to determine which strategies you could implement with your future recruiting efforts.
About the Author
Lisa Michaels is a freelance writer, editor and a striving content marketing consultant from Portland. Being self-employed, she does her best to stay on top of the current trends in the business world. Feel free to connect with her on Twitter @LisaBMichaels.
