Building a Team

Find Employees

How do you attract candidates?

Chances are, you are running a small business and company with lots of potential, but not a lot of revenue yet. So how do you attract and recruit the best team without the fancy perks and amenities offered by bigger companies. The answer is looking at you in the mirror - that’s right, it’s you! There are lots of people who would rather work for a leader and business they admire than to work for an average company with free kombucha on tap. You’re looking for people who want to help the company grow and to grow with it, not for people who want free perks. There are several components that help immensely when it comes to recruiting top talent.

What top candidates are looking for:

  • Good Attracts Good: Good talent naturally attracts other great talent, so be sure to start with really motivated people. You and your founding team are the forces that will cultivate and shape your culture, which will affect how other people enjoy their jobs.

  • Challenges & Ownership: Can you offer qualified candidates the chance to solve hard problems and growth opportunities in your company? This alone is enough to draw in some of the brightest candidates who want startup experience and an opportunity to develop their skills in a small company or organization.

  • Flexibility: You may find that taking risks can have big rewards. If a candidate is extremely qualified but needs to work remote, are you still willing to consider them? It may pay off to adopt innovative hiring models like remote work or flexible working hours as long as you are confident this will not affect the employee’s productivity and work results.

  • Pay & Benefits: Even if you cannot pay top rates, make sure it is still a reasonable number in your location. You may also have to offer full-time employees health benefits, so factor that into your cost calculations. What is reasonable pay in Montgomery, Alabama is very different than what is reasonable pay in New York City. Having a range of a minimum and maximum salary for a new employee gives you more room to negotiate. Also consider for differences in candidates’ education and experience.

If you know your mission and vision by heart, can you convince other people to believe in it too? By successfully communicating your brand and purpose, you will attract candidates who are better matches and who are more engaged, and engaged employees are much less likely to leave overtime.

How do you find people to hire for your business?

The act of recruiting people is a major commitment of time and money, and you’re taking a risk by bringing on new team member(s). It costs money to use recruiting sites like LinkedIn, and of course it costs money to pay and provide benefits for additional employees. It also costs you or your team’s time to find, interview, train, and manage additional team members. Check out some common ways you can go about spreading the word to qualified candidates.

Some ways you can spread the word to qualified candidates:

  • Official Website - This is where your customers and fans may first find you and your story, so you can easily make a page for job postings.

  • Social Media Platforms - Platforms like Facebook or Twitter are where your followers can see and apply to a position  or to spread the word to their network as well.

  • Professional Job Sites - Consider LinkedIn, Handshake, or Monster for companies and Idealist for non-profit or social good organizations.

  • From Referrals - Think about your personal network and from your friends’, advisors’, and colleagues’ networks. Don’t forget about Sky’s the Limit’s network!

  • At Events - Having a booth at college job fairs, conferences for your trade or industry, roadshows, etc. are good ways to meet lots of qualified people who are already interested in your type of business or organization.

For more information on each of the federal laws noted above, visit the sites for the U.S. Department of Labor , the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and MyEmploymentLawyer.com .

Pro Tip

Consider blind recruitment, hiding applicants’ names, education and even years of experience to overcome unconscious bias and promote greater workplace diversity.