Small Business Hiring Advice

A hiring mistake at a large company is damaging. However, as one of Dade County’s top staffing agencies, Future Force knows a hiring mistake at a small company can be downright deadly.

When it comes to small businesses, the margins are narrower and the stakes are much higher. That is why you need to ensure your hiring process weeds out the bad candidates – and enables you to focus on the best ones.

To help you next time you need to hire at your small business, here are a few tips to follow:

Know the role.

Before you even consider writing a job posting or searching for candidates, know the ins and outs of the role you’re looking to hire for. When your job description is vague and expectations are unclear, you will lose out on the top candidates.

So be sure to include daily tasks, necessary skills and how the role fits into the company as a whole. The best candidates not only wants to know the specifics of the job should they get hired, but they also want to know they’ll be making a valuable contribution.

Know where great candidates are.

If you’re looking to hire someone for a more technical role, then look to a site like Stack Overflow to post job openings. If you want someone who is creative, then a site like Dribbble is a good option. Tradeshows and conferences are a great place to meet salespeople.

Wherever you’re broadcasting your openings, ensure it’s a place where the best people in the industry are hanging out – whether virtually or in person.

Know what great candidates want.

As a small business, a huge salary may not be an option for your new hire. However, you can offer plenty of other valuable perks that don’t cost a thing.

The most important? Flexibility. More and more employees are staying at companies that offer them flexibility in the form of a flex schedule and the ability to telecommute. So if you’re looking to hire top talent and can offer them a flexible schedule, then that is a huge selling point.

Know what to look for in a candidate.

Hard skills are easy to assess. Simply give the candidate a skills test or assign them a project to complete.

Soft skills, on the other hand, are far harder to evaluate because most candidates are putting their best foot forward in an interview – which may not always be totally accurate. And yet, attitude, personality, passion and drive are critically important not only to a new hire’s ability to do the job, but also to whether they will fit in with the company culture. So be sure to dig deep with plenty of interview questions that address soft skills and verify answers when you check references.

Know when to hire.

Don’t just start the hiring process when you need to fill an empty seat. Hiring should be a year-round effort. That means when you’re at a tradeshow or conference and meet someone you think would be a great fit for your team, get their business card, connect on LinkedIn, and stay in touch. Even if you don’t have an opening for them today, you never know what the future holds.

If you need more hiring help for your small business, call Future Force. As one of Dade County’s top staffing agencies, we can help by providing you with fast access to quality employees.

Contact us today to learn more.