Small Business Dream Team: 3 Tips on Attracting Top Talent

Let us let you in on a big secret, the last thing you want to do when staffing up your team is to hire everyone who is just like you! If you are unsure how to staff up your business, you’re not alone. This is a common challenge that many business owners can relate to, the key to attracting and retaining the right talent actually starts with a self-inventory. As business owners and managers what we really want you to do actually is figure out what your business needs most rather than trying to replicate yourself in your hires.
Start With Why
Before you get started trying to find talent, make sure you know your Why. This will help you to avoid making rash decisions. Business owners can often be stretched thin filling multiple roles themselves and building a team borne out of stress or because you are desperate for help rather than a well thought out plan, in the long run won’t get you further ahead. Hiring someone just for the sake of hiring someone could actually hinder your bottom line adding operating cost without increasing productivity. Taking a moment to assess why you need to hire someone will naturally lend itself to helping you figure out what you are looking for in an ideal candidate.
Pro Tip: A strong team is made up of members that all have something different to contribute.
What’s The Role
Take pen to paper here, most of us know intrinsically what we are looking for, conceptually speaking but you’ll need to write this down. Developing a job description is an essential part of knowing exactly what you need from the role and of course why. This description will eventually become your job posting.
As you begin to draft this, you’ll want to ask yourself are the skills, education and experience you are seeking in a candidate general, specific or of a technical nature. Again, this will help you transition from the what to the where you may want to explore to attract such talent. As you spell out the core responsibilities and expectations of the job give some thought to which aspects of this role you or another team member are currently working on or need to supervise. Another good prompt in preparing an attractive job posting is giving consideration to the compensation or perks you are offering. Remember not all candidates are motivated by the same types of compensation, some may prefer higher commission structure versus others or value flexibility including a hybrid of onsite and or remote work options.
Pro Tip: Take time to figure out how to carve out new ways to do things, this will keep you and your team motivated while reducing the pressure for you to carry everything all the time.
Who are You?
While you may assume this is a question for your candidates, it’s actually a prompt for you. This is your elevator pitch, what is the story of your business, who are you? Surely, as you’ve formulated your business from the inception to its current brand identity you’ve made continuous improvements to get to where you are today. Part of your job posting has to tell this story, many candidates are equally concerned about their individual role as they larger organization they work with. Set yourself apart by appealing to candidates that see themselves aligned with the overall vision or mission of your company.
Who you are as a company truly matters. This is your opportunity to showcase your commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity. Demonstrating how you welcome candidates with diverse thoughts and experiences as an essential part of your company culture is necessary not optional to attract top talent.
Pro Tip: Give thought to how you see candidates growing within your organization, what success stories can you build into your company narrative?
When You’re Ready
Not sure how to get started? When you are ready to give it some further thought, please reach out to your ARC Group representative for support. Through our relationship with your business we have a good understanding of your operational needs and can offer line of sight to avenues to increase your profits through attracting new team members. We are here to help whenever you are ready to get started!