How small businesses can attract, develop and retain talent
As any small business owner who has hired employees knows, finding the right talent for your open roles can be a significant challenge. Once you’ve found the right talent, that’s just the first step. Without developing and retaining your talent, you’ll likely be back to square one before you know it.
The subject of how small businesses can effectively attract, develop, and retain talent is the focus of this episode of the Sharing Knowledge Series, featuring two local human resources experts. In this episode, you’ll hear from Laura Steidl, Vice President of Human Resources at ICI Metals and Stella Karas Skaljac, ESQ., Founder & CEO of ImagineHR, LLC and Human Resources Director & Associate General Counsel at Ken Ganley Companies.
Watch the full episode below or read on for the key takeaways from this discussion.
Employers need to cast a wide net
There’s no single best way, for any business, to rely on for attracting talented employees. No matter what your industry or business size, there’s a range of effective attraction methods you could consider. A few examples include partnering with staff and temp agencies, advertising job postings, referral bonus programs, and creating a strong workplace reputation. It would also be beneficial for employers to adapt to digital advances and meet potential candidates where they’re at and recognize what they are looking for from a company. In this day and age, a company’s culture, values, and vision are increasingly on the minds of job seekers and employers should effectively promote these aspects of their organization during the hiring process.
Getting the most out of Human Resources (HR)
Many people view HR professionals as simply workplace policy enforcers, but the reality is that they can (and should) offer much more. Companies are relying on HR to proactively motivate and engage employees while improving workplace culture. Performance management in the HR field is also evolving, as employees want more active engagement and constructive feedback compared to a generation ago. Many HR professionals are also able to offer a legal eye when developing workplace policies.
Even if your business has just a handful of employees, HR best practices can’t be overlooked. If it doesn’t make sense for you to have HR in-house, third-party HR consultants can get to know your needs and provide you with the resources, services, and advice you need. If paying for an HR consultant is out of your budget, additional resources exist, such as the Employers Resource Council (ERC).
Finding the right fit
It’s one thing to find a candidate with the right skillset, but understanding how they behave and interact with others in the workplace is just as critical of a hiring consideration. The use of what’s known as behavioral questioning, a practice that involves asking candidates about how they acted in certain workplace situations, can be helpful during the interview process. This might include questions like “can you tell me about a time when you were treated unfairly?” or “tell me about a time when you had to use attention to detail in your job.”
Once you've found the right fit, talent retention is the next challenge for many employers. It’s recommended that you conduct some type of survey of assessment of your employees to gather honest feedback about how they are feeling and what will keep them happy in their roles. Ensuring team members feel genuinely heard, valued, and respected is the most important thing a small business can do. In addition to this, formal mentorship and continuing job training programs can go a long way in fostering a healthy workplace.
Considerations for hybrid work environments
Employers are also finding that whenever a job can be performed remotely, it’s beneficial to at least promote a hybrid work policy. Those that don’t offer this flexibility should be prepared to lose at least some candidates or team members who prefer a remote work environment. As always, it’s crucial to have clear policies and expectations for remote work as well as being deliberate about having meaningful team engagement and collaboration.
The bottom line for small business owners is that no matter the amount of employees you have, you can’t overlook HR best practices. Even without a dedicated HR professional in-house, there are resources available to your business to ensure a culture that attracts talent, fosters retention, and increases employee engagement.
