Overcoming the Challenges of Today’s Talent Shortage

Today’s candidate market is a tough one.  Attracting top talent can often feel like an uphill battle when your small business is competing with so many larger companies for the same talent.

Overcoming the challenges of today’s talent shortage is not impossible for small businesses and you can win over the top talent that your company needs.

Company Brand is Important

What does your brand say about your company? Top talent is interested in attractive company brands.  Gone are the days when the best talent could be simply recruited with larger salaries.  Today’s talent is paying close attention to company culture, company interests, and company likability.

Having a positive company culture that offers flexible work schedules and a collaborative environment is something that you not only want to create and maintain, but you also will need to advertise.

Likewise, a company with interests in the community and society as a whole is something that is attractive to top talent.  When talent notices your company taking an active part in charities and local organizations, they will be more attracted to you.

Pay attention to your company brand and the type of environment you are advertising in your marketing strategy.

Always Recruit

In any business, especially a small business, it can become a habit to start recruiting only when you have an immediate opening.  Not only does this type of recruiting strategy cause a delay in filling the open position, but it also means you are behind in the race for top talent.

Always recruit for top talent, regardless if you have the immediate openings or not.  Explain this to candidates as you communicate with them and let them know that while you do not have an immediate opening, you would love to keep in touch and give them a call when you do have an opening.

Today’s top talent is all about networking.  Keeping in contact with them and expressing interest in having them on your team in the future is something that they will appreciate.

Hire When the Talent is Available

If you’ve come across an outstanding candidate but have no immediate opening, consider hiring ahead of schedule.  When you wait to hire only when you have an immediate opening, you risk losing that great candidate to another company that is able to hire quicker.  That means possibly losing the candidate to a competitor of your company – YIKES!

Take into consideration the benefits of hiring the candidate early.  Yes, you may have to spend a little more money earlier than planned, but you will also gain valuable training time with the candidate and he will be fully trained when he is actually needed.

While not always possible, I strongly recommend that you hire early rather than wait and hope that the candidate is still available down the road.

How are you overcoming today’s talent shortage?  Please share your tips in the comments below.

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