Is it really so hard to find good employees for your business?
Assuming that you have struggled to find the best people to work for you, then you might well be asking yourself that question. You might have suffered the costs of a bad hire too, perhaps because you have had to spend more than you needed to on training costs, or because your business has suffered because of your employee’s poor productivity level.
Are you relating thus far?
If you haven’t employed the right people for the job, it might be down to you.
It might be that you didn’t spend enough time looking for the best candidates, perhaps because you were in a hurry to fill vacant positions. It could also be because your business rivals snapped up the best candidates, perhaps because they had more to offer new hires. And you might have neglected to run the proper background checks on your candidates, so while they might have wowed you at interview, in reality, their work ethics and abilities may not be what they promised.
So, in an effort to increase your workforce, there are several things you need to do.
Advertise your vacancies in the right places
In an effort to widen the net of candidates, you might be tempted to advertise your vacancy on every job listing site and newspaper available. The danger of doing this is that you might get a surplus of people applying for the job. In an effort narrow down your shortlist before the interview process starts, you might accidentally cut off a lot of good candidates.
Rather than extending your net too widely, focus your attention on trying to find ways to reach those people who are the best fit. So, you might post your vacancy on industry-specific websites where the relevant people will be looking to find a job. You might advertise in the relevant trade magazines and newspapers. And you might also post your vacancy on your website, as potential candidates could be Googling businesses like yours right now.
Speak to your current employees
If you already have people working for you, ask them for referrals. After all, your employees know the ins and outs of your business, and they may have contacts both online and off who would make the perfect fit for your business.
Give candidates a reason to apply for a job with you
As mentioned earlier, your rivals will snap up the best candidates if they have more to offer them than you do. So, think about what you could offer. A better wage would be a start, but you might also consider other incentives, such as a flexible working pattern, opportunities for remote working, and opportunities for progression within your business.
Carry out background checks
Ask for references, speak to previous employers, and run a criminal background check. Google the names of your candidates online too, and take a peek at their social media pages for any clues that could tell you more about who they are and what they think. By taking these steps, you will get a more rounded impression of your candidates, with positives and negatives that might not be apparent on their application forms and resumés.
Final word
Is it really so hard to find good employees for your business? No; provided you take the necessary steps during the hiring process. Consider what we have suggested then, and if you have any other tips for our readers, perhaps based on your experience of hiring employees, please share them with us.
