How to Hire Employees for a Small Business in 7 Steps [2024]
You’ve built your small business from the ground up, putting in long hours and wearing multiple hats. But now, it’s time to expand your team and scale your business. Hiring new employees can seem daunting — where do you start? How do you find the right people?
As a passionate entrepreneur, you want to get this right; bringing on the wrong people could derail your progress. With the right strategy, you can build an all-star team to take your company to the next level. The experienced hiring experts at Exceptional Talent have put together this guide to walk you through the steps on how to hire employees for a small business.
How to Find Good Employees in 7 Steps
Follow these simple steps to look for employees that match your hiring needs:
Know when you need to hire employees for your small business.
Write detailed job descriptions to attract the best candidates.
Get the word out and advertise your open positions.
Vet applicants carefully to find good employees.
Conduct interviews to assess candidates’ fit.
Make competitive job offers to top prospects.
Onboard new hires and set them up for success.
Step 1: Know when you need to hire employees for your small business.
While hiring new employees is essential for scaling your business, saving costs should be a top priority for a small business. Nonetheless, there are certain instances when new hires are ideal.
If you experience any of the following signs, it may be time to consider expanding your team:
Your customer service is slipping.
Are you struggling to keep up with customer needs or finding their issues left unaddressed? Adding a dedicated customer support role could be the solution. An employee focused solely on customer service will ensure your clients receive the best experience possible.
High-value employees are doing low-value work.
If you have skilled employees taking on mundane administrative tasks, their time and talents are being wasted. Hiring an office assistant or manager to handle day-to-day operations would allow your experts to focus on high-impact work.
New opportunities are arising, but capacity is limited.
When your small business starts gaining momentum, it can be difficult for a small team to keep up. Additional employees will give you the bandwidth to take on new clients, projects, or business initiatives without becoming overwhelmed.
You’re relying on “experts” and “consultants.”
Some small businesses make the mistake of hiring so-called “experts” on an as-needed basis rather than building out a proper team. An in-house management team with a vested interest in your company’s success will be far more effective in the long run. Support roles like office managers, executive assistants, and HR specialists may not seem glamorous, but they ensure daily operations run smoothly so you can focus on growth.
The bottom line is if your small business is expanding quickly, key priorities are falling through the cracks, or you find your role shifting to mundane tasks, it’s probably time to bring on new talent. Knowing how to find employees for a small business at the right time will allow your company to reach its full potential.
Step 2: Write detailed job descriptions to attract the best candidates.
Your job description is your main point of contact with prospective candidates; your success in hiring the right candidates hinges on getting it right!
Based on our experience hiring talent for businesses, we’ll suggest the following:
Be transparent about the role.
As a business owner, you know exactly what you need in a new hire; the key is conveying that clearly to candidates. Focus on specific, day-to-day responsibilities and priorities rather than vague attributes. For an admin role, outline key tasks like managing schedules, travel planning, and report generation; for a sales role, specify quotas, target clients, and products. The more transparent the listing is, the more qualified applicants you’ll attract.
Highlight must-have skills.
Rather than emphasizing years of experience, list the hard and soft skills that are essential for success. For an admin, that may include proficiency with Microsoft Office as well as organization skills and time management abilities; for a sales role, persuasion, negotiation, and communication skills are key. When candidates see a skills-focused listing, they can better assess if they’re a good match for the position. And as a hiring manager, you’ll find it easier to evaluate whether an applicant has what it takes to thrive in the role.
Describe the company culture.
Give candidates insight into your company’s values and mission while explaining growth opportunities and career paths. Discuss topics like flexible work schedules, continuing education, and work-life balance. For the right candidate, company culture can be just as important as the job itself. A strategic, well-crafted job listing should give applicants a sense of what it’s like to work for your organization and what they can achieve in the role.
Mention the salary offer.
It’s important to be transparent about the remuneration for the position you’re looking to fill when putting together the job description. This not only establishes trust but candidates are also more likely to feel respected and consider applying for the role. In addition, it saves the company time that would be otherwise spent vetting candidates who may never take up the role — people will self-select out of roles whose salaries don’t match their expectations.
Step 3: Get the word out and advertise your open positions.
The most straightforward way to get your vacancy across to prospective candidates is to advertise it.
Here are some tips on how to find employees through job post adverts:
Prioritize your employer brand.
As a small business owner looking to hire employees, building a strong employer brand should be at the top of your priority list. Your employer brand communicates what it’s like to work at your company and the value you provide to employees.
Focus on highlighting areas like work-life balance, growth opportunities, company culture, and mission. Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to spread the word about your brand. Post photos of team outings, share company updates and engage with your followers. This helps build brand awareness and attracts high-quality candidates.
Leverage free job advertising.
One of the best ways for small businesses to advertise new roles with limited resources is through free online job sites. Post your job openings on sites like Indeed, Monster, and ZipRecruiter. You can also post jobs for free on LinkedIn, which has over 1 billion active users. This helps you reach potential candidates on platforms where they already spend time.
Tap into your network.
Don’t underestimate the power of networking. Tell friends, family, former colleagues, and connections about your job openings. Reach out to local organizations, networking groups, and nonprofits to get the word out.
Someone in your network may know the perfect candidate or be able to refer the role to their connections. Moreover, people are more likely to trust roles referred by personal connections, so networking and employee referrals are great ways to find qualified candidates.
Step 4: Vet applicants carefully to find good employees.
Once you’ve received applications from interested candidates, it’s time to scrutinize them. As a small business owner, you want to look for employees who will become valuable, long-term team members. That means conducting thorough background checks and vetting processes to find the best match for your company’s culture and needs.
Here are some tips to consider when vetting candidates:
Review social media profiles.
An applicant’s social media pages can reveal aspects of their character and judgment. Look for any warning signs like inappropriate content or behavior. But also look for positive signs like an interest in career-related topics, volunteering, or community involvement. How someone portrays themselves on social media can provide insight into how well they may represent your company brand.
Conduct background checks.
For any candidate you’re seriously considering, conduct a professional background check. Look for any history of criminal offenses, violence, theft, or other behaviors that would make them unsuitable for a role in your company. Background checks can also uncover inaccuracies in a candidate’s job application or resume. While everyone deserves a fair chance, you must protect your business and other employees.
Step 5: Conduct interviews to assess candidates’ fit.
Once you have selected promising candidates from the application pool, it’s time to interview them. The interview process allows you to evaluate how well a candidate’s experience, skills, and work style match your company’s needs.
Here are tips on how to find employees through effective interviews:
Ask behavioral questions.
Behavioral questions prompt candidates to provide specific examples of how they have handled work situations in the past.
For example, you might ask questions like:
Tell me about a time you had to adapt quickly to changes at work. How did you handle it?
Look for answers demonstrating flexibility, creative problem-solving, and a solutions-oriented mindset.
Assess cultural fit.
Asking about a candidate’s preferred work environment and management style can help gauge compatibility with the organization’s culture.
For example, you could ask questions like:
What type of work environment are you most productive in?
What management style do you prefer in a supervisor?
Candidates whose needs align well with your company’s culture will likely be more engaged and work in your organization longer.
Evaluate past work.
Reviewing a candidate’s work background can be helpful in assessing cultural fit during interviews. Discuss the scope and responsibilities of previous roles, key accomplishments, and reasons for leaving. Look for a logical progression in the candidate’s career path that matches the growth opportunities in your company. You may also request samples of non-confidential projects the candidate has worked on in the past for further assessment.
Furthermore, a role-play or work simulation can provide valuable insight into a candidate’s potential job fit. Present a hypothetical scenario related to the position and ask the candidate to walk you through how they would handle it. Assess their process, reasoning, communication skills, and solutions. Candidates who can think on their feet in a structured, logical manner will likely adapt well to the realities of the job, so look for employees who meet these criteria.
Tip: Consider checking out our post on the top 10 office manager interview questions.
Step 6: Make competitive job offers to top prospects.
Once you’ve identified your top candidates, it’s time to make them a job offer they can’t refuse. Most job-seekers receive multiple offers during their search, so you’ll want to put your best foot forward.
Here are some tips to help you make attractive offers:
Be fair.
Determine a fair compensation package based on the candidate’s experience, skills, and the typical salary range for that position. Don’t lowball them; that will only lead to future resentment and high turnover. If the company’s budget is below what qualified candidates are seeking, an alternative would be to hire candidates who are looking to launch their careers or seeking a career change.
Be detailed and transparent.
When it’s time to make the actual offer, do so enthusiastically and be prepared to answer any questions about compensation, benefits, professional development opportunities, work hours, vacation time, and company culture. Put all the details in writing via an official offer letter. The more transparent you are upfront, the less likely the candidate will feel the need to negotiate further down the road.
Be open-minded.
Candidates today often come to the table with the expectation that some negotiation will be required, especially for mid-level to senior roles. So, build some wiggle room into your initial offer in case they do want to discuss a higher base salary or extra perks.
The key is to not make a “take it or leave it” offer, but rather express your willingness to find an agreement that works for both parties. Some additional paid time off or flexible work options can be an easy compromise if salary is a sticking point.
Focus on the job value.
When negotiating, focus the conversation around the value the candidate will bring to your company rather than what they’re asking for. Help them to see the long-term growth opportunities and career path this role could provide. Starting these compensation conversations early in the interview process, perhaps even on the first phone screen, can help set the right expectations and avoid difficult negotiations after an offer has already been made.
Check references and recommendations.
One last thing to do before extending offers to qualified candidates is to contact their listed references and past employers to verify the accuracy of the information. Don’t just take an applicant’s word for their qualifications and work experience. Ask referees open-ended questions to get details about the applicant’s responsibilities, strengths, and weaknesses.
Making competitive job offers to exceptional candidates may require some financial investment upfront. Still, the long-term rewards of a fully engaged, highly skilled employee will far outweigh any initial costs. Your business’s success depends on surrounding yourself with the best team possible, so don’t skimp when it comes to hiring and compensation. Bring on people who will grow with your business and take it to the next level — that kind of talent is priceless!
Step 7: Onboard new hires and set them up for success.
Having gotten through the above steps on how to find good employees, the next step is onboarding. Effective onboarding is key to ensuring your new hires thrive in their roles.
Here are some tips to help you get the best out of your onboarding process:
Get everything they need ready before they resume office.
Start by preparing everything they’ll need before their first day. Provide them with the tools, accounts, and information to hit the ground running. Having their laptop, email, and any necessary software set up shows you value their time and are invested in their success.
Pair them with a mentor.
Pairing new hires with a buddy or mentor is one of the best ways to support them. Have someone who excels in a similar position show them the ropes. Let the buddy be their go-to person for questions as they navigate those early months.
Also, make introductions to key team members and executives. Walk them through daily processes and responsibilities and explain your company culture and values to help them fit in.
Take your time.
Don’t overwhelm new employees on day one; spread onboarding out over their first weeks and months. Have regular check-ins to see how they’re doing and if they need any extra help. Provide constructive feedback and opportunities for them to give input as well. Also, keep an open-door policy in case any issues come up.
The hiring process requires significant time and resources. Effective onboarding helps guarantee it’s worth the investment by setting new employees up for success from the start. When done right, it leads to higher job satisfaction, better performance, and increased retention.
However, the truth is onboarding never really ends. Even long-time employees benefit from continued learning and development opportunities. Make it an ongoing priority, and your business will reap the rewards.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I hire the right person for my small business?
To hire the right person, identify your business needs, then create detailed job descriptions. Use structured interviews and tests to evaluate candidates beyond their resumes. Also, always ask for references before onboarding.
Can a self-employed person hire someone?
Yes, a self-employed person can hire employees or outsource work to independent contractors, giving them flexibility to manage their business needs. At Exceptional Talent, we partner with businesses to help them make the right hires for their projects — contact us today to learn more!
What is the best way to hire someone?
The best way to hire someone is to value potential, consider nontraditional work histories, and focus on achievements. Use insightful interview questions and pre-interview tests, but also trust your intuition. In addition, always be open to career advancement opportunities in your company.
What do you say when you hire someone?
When you hire someone, you can say: “We’re thrilled to offer you the role of [title] at [company name]. Your skills and experience align perfectly with the position’s duties and responsibilities. We believe you’re a great fit for our [full- or part-time] role.”
Conclusion
The steps outlined in this post define how to hire employees for a small business like yours. When finding the perfect people to join your team, it’s not just about skills or experience; it’s about passion, personality, and potential. You want to assemble a crew as driven and dedicated as you are.
However, the hiring process takes time and energy, which you may not have, especially if your business is expanding rapidly. You need support, and that’s where Exceptional Talent comes in!
Our team of hiring experts partner with you to understand exactly the roles your company needs. We know how to attract the applicants you want through smart, specific job posts. And we have the wisdom to see past smooth interviews to a candidate’s true strengths. Together, we can build a staff as committed to your company’s vision as you are.
Your team is out there; let us help you find them. Contact us today for more info!