KEY TAKEAWAYS
a professional network that she taps into
when looking to add an employee. “I make
it a point to meet people in my field, nurture
relationships with other IT professionals, and
stay in touch with people,” she explains.
“When an opening arises, I’ve always managed to have candidates in mind.” At that
point, she conducts interviews and selects
the best contender.
According to Craib, networking (including
the use of social networks online) is an of-ten-overlooked way for SMBs to connect
with potential candidates. “In today’s free-agent-focused world, it’s a very effective way
to develop a pool of talent,” he says. However, he cautions, networking involves more
than simply hiring golf buddies and family
members, which is an all-too-common mistake among those hiring their first or second
employee. “A person must develop solid
connections and keep track of people’s talents and skills,” Craib notes.
STAFFING FOR SUCCESS
Channel pros utilize a variety of other recruiting methods as well. For example, Hasson uses an independent recruiter to find
qualified applicants. The recruiter posts
open positions on online job boards such as
Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com, sifts
through responses, and conducts preliminary
interviews. Then Hasson or another executive conducts more detailed interviews for
two or three finalists. If the company hires
the candidate, the recruiter receives a flat
fee. “He knows our culture and our needs,
RELY ON A VARIETY of recruiting and hiring methods, including networking, referrals, job
boards, professional associations,
and professional recruiters.
CONDUCT MULTIPLE
interviews, including a preliminary
screening, a technical interview,
and a general interview. Ideally,
two or three company executives
should participate in the process.
CONSIDER USING an applicant tracking system. It can help
you streamline and organize your
employee hunt.
ATTEND HR COURSES offered
by universities or HR professional
groups, such as the Society for
Human Resource Management.
and it has turned out to be a good fit,” Hasson says.
In addition, Hasson posts open positions
on the company’s Web site, keeps resumes
on file, and pays close attention to employee
recommendations and referrals. Once she’s
seriously considering a candidate, she conducts a background check and follows up on
references. “As a small company, we don’t
have any margin for error. We want people
who are smart, stable, and have certifications and training,” she explains.
Link says that SMBs can excel at hiring
through creativity and innovation. For instance, he suggests looking at niche job
boards focused on particular cities or roles
rather than behemoths such as Monster,
HotJobs, and CareerBuilder. In some cases,
a company might also find a qualified employee through a university internship. And
industry associations—particularly regional
ones—can connect businesses to a pipeline
of qualified applicants through newsletters
and online discussion groups. Also, Craib
recommends using an applicant tracking
system. “Many small companies view it as
overkill, but it can serve as a valuable tool,”
he says. “Today there are affordable and
scalable solutions available for SMBs.”
Finally, successful managers realize that
a bit of training can go a long way toward improving hiring and recruiting. Attending a
university class or a workshop from an HR
professional association, such as the Society
for Human Resource Management, can pay
enormous dividends. “These days, there’s
fierce competition for talent,” concludes
Link. “A combination of creativity and business savvy is a winning proposition.” •
SAMUEL GREENGARD is a West Linn,
Ore., writer who specializes in business and
technology. His work has appeared in
AARP, American Way, Business Finance, Industry Week, and Workforce Management.
What are your other business
and management challenges?
Send MYOB topics to cpeditor@ehpub.com
ACCORDING TO PLAN
EFFECTIVE HIRING IS MORE THAN JUST
STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES. It also involves business planning and forecasting.
“The problem that many SMBs face is that
they have no formal staffing plan based on
company growth. They wind up reacting to
conditions, become desperate, and hire the
first warm body they can find,” states Joel
Davis, an independent management consultant and author of the upcoming book Death
of an Employee: Be the Architect of Your
Life in a Perform or Perish Business World.
That’s a recipe for disaster, Davis says, as
poorly chosen employees undermine group
productivity and morale, poison customer relationships, and ultimately create an expensive HR treadmill.
A BETTER APPROACH? Develop a plan that
helps you anticipate hiring requirements.
First, plug in revenue figures, gross profit,
SG&A (selling, general, and administrative
expenses), and operating profit per employee, Davis suggests. Then examine your
year-over-year growth rate and generate projections, taking into account seasonality,
new product lines, new services, and other
company- or industry-specific revenue influences. The end result is data you can use to
predict when you will need to begin recruiting your next new hire, Davis says.
