We are currently in a time of full employment, with the lowest unemployment rate in more than 30 years. This means that more thought and preparation has to be put into finding talented staff than ever before.
Writing a job description
The first step is to write a job description. Always remember to include in the ad a clear description of the job you are advertising, including responsibilities and day-to-day tasks. It’s also important to mention any qualifications or experience you expect the candidate to have. The location of the job, as well as contact details and a deadline for applications are also a must.
It’s also an idea to develop a job description for the role, which you can share with candidates during initial interviews. Although it can be time-consuming putting together a job description, doing so helps you get ideas clear in your head about what you expect the person to do.
Being able to clearly communicate what you expect from the person who fills the role will ensure the person you employ understands their role, which will ultimately help them perform better in their job. You can search online for template job descriptions in your industry.
Too many applications!
A job ad posted on a recruitment website will usually produce multiple resumes. The downside of this is that you may have to sort through hundreds or even thousands of applications to find ones that are really relevant for the job.
A way to get around this is to post your ad on more specialised websites. For example, most industry associations have a section on their website for advertising positions vacant. This is a great source of staff for small businesses.
Dive into a big pool
With the unemployment rate at its lowest in almost 30 years, above all, says Julie Mills, chief executive officer of the Recruitment and Consulting Services Association, in the current job market it’s important for small businesses to draw on as wide a pool as possible when looking for staff.
‘Everyone is looking for staff at the moment. At every step in the recruitment process, businesses have to think outside the square and not necessarily expect a perfect fit – it’s important to accept the limitations of the job market and realise the candidate pool is shrinking,’ says Mills.
Broaden your search
‘Small businesses are actually well placed to tap into different candidate pools, like mature age workers, people with children and people with disabilities, because small business can really engage with these people,’ Mills says, using RCSA as an example. ‘Everyone in my office was once long-term unemployed.’
Mills says by tapping into this workforce, ‘you can also take advantage of government incentives. I had two-thirds of the salary of one of my staff paid by the government for three months,’ she says.
Another source of candidates, advises Mills, is what she calls ‘passive candidates’, or those who are not actively seeking work. ‘These are people who might have their profile on LinkMe.com.au but not be actively seeking work. Some of the best candidates are in this pool,’ she says.
Personal contacts
John Shein, a partner in boutique recruitment company Salt & Shein, relies on personal contacts and networking to find staff. He hired one staff member after hearing clients mention her name repeatedly. At the time he hired her, she was working for a competitor. After hearing her name mentioned again and again, Shein picked up the phone and offered her a job.
Shein says networking plays a key role in his approach to hiring staff. ‘We attend lots of industry events and we’re keeping our ear to the ground for our next couple of employees,’ he says.
The key thing to remember when hiring in the current job market is to act quickly. ‘If you don’t act quickly, you’re not going to find people,’ says Shein.