How to Attract the Best Talent to Your Small Business

When you’re a small business working on recruiting, you may feel like you’re struggling to compete with major corporations. Though you may not have nap rooms in your office and other perks that Fortune 500 companies can provide, your smaller business has a lot of unique perks that the big guys can’t offer. In order to keep your company competitive when it comes to bringing on new talent, consider these tips:

Sponsor a learning opportunity for industry professionals

When you host a seminar or workshop for those who work in your industry, it makes it easy to put your company in the spotlight. Additionally, you’ll get to see potential new employees in action, making it clear whom you really need on your team. You can attract young professionals by offering skill-building sessions, or catch the attention of mid-managers by hosting workshops that cover more in-depth material.

Develop a social media presence

These days, your potential hires are active on social media and want to work for a company that is too. In order to make yourself known to up and coming industry talent, you want to have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. LinkedIn is especially useful, as it allows you to get a feel for what a potential hire is like as you scan through their resume and recommendations from others.

Head out to job fairs

Job fairs can be a great way to attract motivated young professionals who are looking for work in your industry. During the fair, make it a point to talk one-on-one with the people who stop by the booth, and collect resumes as you go. Make notes as the event is going on to make it easier to remember who you would like to contact for interviews later on.

Offer internships

Internships can be just as beneficial for the company as they are for the intern. When you work with interns, you’re able to get a sense of what these young people are like in the office, and can decide whether they would be a good fit upon graduating. Many companies end up finding their best young talent through an internship program. Consider developing such a program as a recruiting tool.

Network with other professionals

Whether it’s at a conference or in a more casual setting, it’s hard to recruit top talent if no one knows that your company exists. Make a real effort to connect with other people, both in your industry and in other fields, in order to publicize your company’s mission.

Though you may be up against tough competition, with a little strategizing it’s still possible for your small business to thrive and continue to attract top talent.

What kinds of recruiting strategies do you use to make sure that you’re continuously bringing new talent on board?