As a small business owner, you are aware of how many things you have to do on your own. From keeping your own books to understanding the advantages of each advertising medium, there are a lot of obligations you have to stay on top of. This is why you need quality employees that you can rely on once you start expanding.
Seeing as how the budget is one of the biggest obstacles when it comes to running a small business, you probably don’t have a lot of money for acquiring new talent. Hiring someone that ends up not suitable for the role and/ or the company culture is simply not worth the risk, so you should always play it safe and carry out a DBS check on the shortlisted candidates. Luckily, there are many online strategies that are either very affordable or free that you can use to attract quality employees to your company.
Keep on reading for some tips.
Add a career section to your website
Seeing as how your company’s website is the first place where people will go to learn more about you, you need to add an about section that will state your mission, message, and values. In addition to that, you should also add a career section to your website. Here, you should list all the open positions and define what you are looking for in potential employees. Furthermore, you can list various benefits and include some statements from current staff members, if you have any. Finally, optimizing your website is vital so make sure the overall navigation is easy and that website visitors have no issues finding what they are looking for.
Put your business’s info on local listing pages
Another way to catch the attention of potential employees is by listing your business on various websites. When someone hears of your company, they will look you up online, which will lead them to various listing sites like Yelp, Google My Business, and City Search. Even though these listings are usually there for consumers, prospective workers can also use the information listed here to learn more about you, contact you, check out your website, or even visit your office. This is why it’s essential that you list accurate information like your URL, address, and phone number. If any of the information is outdated, the potential employee will not only get lost or call a non-existing number but they will probably also think less of your company as you will come off as if you don’t care about your presentation.
Promote your company on online job boards
While you can post job ads in local chambers of commerce and other physical job boards, you should also advertise on online job boards. The great thing here is that many boards let your post job ads for free. However, if you have some money that you can invest in attracting top talent, you should use it to promote openings in your company on online job boards as that will allow you to appear in front of other listings that are not paid for. By being ahead of the competition, you are increasing your chances of candidates seeing you and checking out your posting.
Engage with potential employees via chat
Maybe you’re already using live chat to stay in touch with your customers and answer their pressing questions. If you are, you are probably aware of all of its benefits. With that in mind, you can also use live chat for recruitment purposes. By including the chat option on your website or career page, you’re encouraging potential employees to contact you and ask questions they might have about the open positions in your company. Whether it’s a question about where your office is located or what the expected work hours are, make sure you provide the interested parties with quick information as engaging them in this way can entice them to submit an application.
Use social media to show employee benefits
Your website, job boards, and live chat are all great ways to explain to your potential employees what would be expected of them, what kind of education and experience you are looking for, and other important aspects of the job. However, on social media, you should focus on something else. Display all the benefits that your employees are enjoying. For example, you can use Instagram to show off your premises and everything that is included. Make a tour of your office and include the break room and kitchen. Of course, before you can proudly show them off, you have to make sure they are in top-notch condition. Then, highlight the work area with all its features, such as an ergonomic chair, a height-adjustable desk, a versatile electric neck massager, and all other perks you provide every team member with. Prospective workers will surely check you out on social media so adding an Instagram highlight to your profile will draw their attention.
Maintain your reputation on review sites
In order to attract top talent, you need to ensure your brand’s reputation is positive. Many interested individuals will look you up on review websites to see what your customers and current and former employees had to say about you. Therefore, managing your reviews is essential. According to Glassdoor, 75% of people looking for a job are likely to apply for a position if they notice that the company in question is actively managing its employer brand. In addition to Glassdoor, Indeed is another top employee review site but Yelp and Google My Business also offer employees a chance to rate their employer. This is why keeping an eye on all available platforms is crucial. In terms of responding, you should approach it in a way that is similar to customer review. Regardless of whether the review is positive or negative, you need to be polite when you post a response. If it’s negative, you can use it to identify the current problems in the company and promise that you will work on making your company environment a better place. Work with your current employees to see what would make them happier as that will also help attract top talent.
Implement video marketing into your strategy
Just like you would use video marketing to attract customers, you can do the same to attract potential employees. Seeing as how people retain more information when they watch a video than when they read a text, why not use this to your advantage and get your message across? For instance, a short video that shows your company culture, lists all the benefits of working for your company, and focuses on all the good your organization does can do a lot when it comes to appealing to prospective employees. Include employee testimonials as well so that candidates can get a better picture of what working for you is like.
Make the most of email marketing
Finally, as you might be aware, email marketing is not dead. Therefore, it’s vital that you use its full potential. In case you’ve collected a candidate’s info through live chat, you can now use it to remind them about your company on a regular basis. If you’ve won any awards such as the best work environment, make sure they hear about it. Then, send them summaries about how your business has been organized and working through the pandemic. Maybe you can share a success story of one of your clients. Consider what prospective workers would like to hear about and then craft your emails in such a way that appeals to them. By engaging with potential employees and informing them about open positions, you can reel in top talent.
Just because you are a small business with a limited budget, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make the most of the online opportunities and attract quality employees. Use these strategies and you will have a great workforce in no time.
