Small business owners often complain of their inability to find the right persons to fill the openings they have within their businesses. This is understandable as the more qualified and skilled talents will always seek opportunities with bigger firms. However, that does not mean that you cannot attract the right candidate for your small business.
First of all, I would like to say that when I say ‘right talent’ in this context, I am not speaking strictly in terms of qualifications. Why that is important to every business, there are many more things that make a talent right for a business. If you would like to read more about this, you can check out this post, where I discussed the difference between ‘right talent’ and ‘qualified talent’, including some of the things to watch out for in the ‘right talents’.
Here are six strategies you can engage in to attract the right talent to your small business.
Be Clear On Who You Need
The first step towards getting the right talent is to sit yourself down and clarify who you qualify as the right candidate for your business. Just like I pointed out in this post, the right candidate is that one with the right mix of attitudes and skills that fit into your business’ short and long term goals.
Give Your Business A Human Face
Giving your business a human face simply means you ensuring that people can see your business through you.
Passionately Talk About Your Business Always
Yes, one of the ways to get people interested in your business is to talk about your business in a manner that others cannot help but take notice of your business. With the help of social media, you can do this easily. Put out the word about your business on the major platforms where your target talent is and do it consistently. Talk about the reason why you started off the business, and talk about the problems you are seeking to solve.
Make Your Business Part of a Cause
Humans naturally want to identify with a cause, especially one that affects them and which may seem bigger than them. To attract the right talent, tie your business to a cause. The cause does not have to be socio-political or cultural but lets it be something that your target talent will be glad to accept and passionately work to achieve with you. You may not need to start one yourself, you can get involved in an existing cause or even become a partner to a local charity/NGO and be seen to be committed to the cause which they are working on.
Offer Internship Opportunities
An internship is one of the overlooked ways of seeking out the right talent. Many businesses run away from this because of the fear of having to lose the interns to other competitors after their period of internship. However, this is even more reason you should use it as a way to attract the right talent. You will be seen as one of the businesses that support the development and growth of individuals and that will earn you the love and admiration of people. In addition, interns working with you will get the opportunity to experience what it feels like to work in your business, and so long it feels right, they would want to return as full-time staff, or even if they don’t, they would be glad to recommend their friends.
Take Care Of Your Employees
A few weeks back, the Nigerian Twitter space was set aflame with discussions around toxic workplaces and horrible bosses. Some major businesses and organizations were mentioned as places with toxic work cultures. You can imagine how many ‘qualified talents’ and ‘right talents’ were planning to apply to those places that had a change of mind as a result of the Twitter mentions. So, as a business owner, ensure you do your best to take care of your employees. Check this post for ways you can take care of your people.
Closing Thoughts
To attract the right talent to your small business, as a business owner, you need simply the right strategies. And in this post, I have presented you with six strategies you can begin to apply today.
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