Head Hunter Guide To Small Business Hiring In 2016

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Head Hunter Small Business Guide To Hiring2016

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Small Business Guide to Hiring

How do you measure the success of your small business? Is it increased revenue, expanded products, inventory or growing your customer base? All of these achievements are important. But none of them are possible without a great team of employees. Having the right people on board is critical for business success and growth. And for small businesses like yours, every new hire plays a critical role in your company’s future success. Finding and recruiting new hires can be a challenge when you’re running a business. But it doesn’t have to be. At Head Hunter we also help small businesses find the right people to help grow business. Our Small Business Guide to Hiring provides guidance and tips to help you engage, recruit and hire the talent you need when you need them. Use this guide to make every new hire count. We know that your business depends on it.


Table of Content

Page

1. Find the Right Talent 4

2. How Job Seekers Find Your Job 5

3. Create an Effective Job Ad 7

4. Social Media Best Practices 11

5. Mastering The Interview Process 14

6. Onboarding Your New Hire 16

7. Hiring Checklist 18


1 Find The Right Talent

As the world has moved online, many industries, including recruitment, have followed suit. Your small business can take advantage of this trend when you’re looking to find and hire top talent. Here are some tactics you can use:

Online Job Ads

Provides a tried and true method to fill a job

Puts your open position in front of active seekers who are looking for your type of opportunity

Allows you to promote your company to potential new hires and customers

Reaches a large audience quickly and efficiently

Allows you to paint a precise picture of your job, your company and the qualifications you are seeking in an applicant

Makes it easy for job seekers to access opportunities, particularly

Resume Search

Find qualified candidates by searching Head Hunter Resume Database. By using our advanced search technology, you can define your ideal candidate and search only on those attributes including: location, salary requirements, experience, qualifications and many others.

Find active candidates who are looking for a new position as well as passive candidates who could be interested in your opportunities.


Social Media

Job seekers are exploring information online as part of their job search (over 95% do). Often, they will research your company online after seeing your job description.

Social media can help level the playing field by providing your small business with the platforms and tools you need to reach more talent.

Weather you choose Online Job Ads, Resume Search or Social Media to find your perfect candidate, the following best practices will help ensure your recruiting success.

2 How Job Seekers Find Your Job

At Head Hunter, we know how job seekers search for jobs. Our research shows that many job seekers search for jobs while at work. That means your job should be easy to find and easy to apply to. Let’s start by looking how seekers search for jobs. Jobseekers primarily use three fields in their job search: Job Title, Keywords and Location. Head Hunter Site facilitates this most efficiently. Follow these guidelines when posting your Head Hunter Job Ad:

1. The Job Title Field Research indicates that simple and straightforward job titles generate a higher than gimmicky titles. Use Straightforward Titles:

“Sales Representative” instead of “Experienced and Proven Sales Person”


“Manager Trainee” instead of “Becoming a Star in 2016!”

Retail Representative” instead of “Are you a Retail Rock Star?”

When appropriate, add more detail:

“Wedding Photographer” instead of “Photographer”

“Retail Representative” instead of “Sales Person” No Abbreviations:

“Senior Manager” instead of “Sr. Mgr”

“Customer Service Representative” instead of “Customer Service Rep.”

2. Keywords or Company Name Field Keywords provide more details to your job title so that your job ad is more easily found in searches. For Example:

If you are a medical device company looking to hire a sales representative, include the keyword “medical devices” in your job description.

If you are looking to hire a customer service representative for your auto dealership, include the key word “auto dealership.”

3. Location Field The location field is important to job seekers who want to work in their area.


Be sure to complete this field when posting your job to ensure that candidates targeting your area will find your position. Remember that jobseekers may use a radius.

When done right, the job title, keywords and location will enable qualified jobseekers to find your job.

3 Creating An Effective Job Ad When writing the Job Ad, Head Hunter Style, there are six key elements to include:

i. The Job ii. The Job Summary iii. The Job Description iv. Job Requirements v. Benefits / About Your Company vi. How to Apply / Call to action

i. The Job State clearly the key characteristics of the job. This is a snapshot of the job – example: Job Title : Finance Manager Reporting To : Finance Director Type : Contract (3 year renewable) Compensation : $ Negotiable + Medical + Pension + Bonus & More Location : Nassau, Bahamas.


Potential suitable candidates can make a decision as to weather they want to pursue the opportunity or not. It saves time and effort for both employer and employee. ii. The Job Summary Be clear, concise and compelling in your job summary. Potential candidates must know exactly what the job is all about and expectations. The opening paragraph should spark job seekers’ interest. This will encourage them to learn more about your company and apply to the job. As you write, think about how you can inform, engage and inspire your candidates to pursue next step(s). iii. Job Description This section states clearly the role and responsibilities the successful candidate would be expected to perform. Some companies may elect to elaborate ‘ii’ above and omit this section. Others may elect to itemise the duties to perform. A significant factor that influences the form or structure depends on the seniority of the position. For example, a manager position may elect an elaborate job summary. In this case, it can be labelled ‘Job Summary / Description’. iv. Job Requirements Your requirements should reflect the job title. For example, a senior title should align with the required level of experience. Include some level about the duties that your candidate will carry out, as well as, any required education, certification(s) and experience. Make sure the requirements are easy to understand by someone who does not already work for your company. Remember less is often more. Experts recommend including must-have skills at the top and the ‘nice to have’ skills below these.


v. Benefits / About The Company Think what sets your small company apart from your competitors, such as flexible work schedule, employee training and the opportunity to learn new skills. Be Brief, but tell a story about who your company is and why people enjoy working there. Include some tangible reasons why people should choose your company. Also, be sure to include your company benefits, both traditional and non-traditional. Traditional benefits include healthcare, pay raises and vacation time; non-traditional benefits include gym memberships, commuting assistance, or corporate deals on a cell phone plan or local day care centres. Think of your Job Ad as marketing collateral. It should explain your company’s unique characteristics and value position. vi. How To Apply / Call To Action Choose your ad with a well-defined call to action. Include clear instruction on how to apply to your instructions on how to apply to your position, including what information is required, such as resume, cover letter and references. Include only one apply method in your job application to avoid confusing candidates. Here’s why: A single apply method will help encourage candidates to apply and to easily complete the apply process One apply method will make it easy for you to track job applies and your applicant pool Accurately tracking your job applies will enable you to get the most from your recruiting budget.


Head Hunter System makes posting

effective job ads easy. All the essential

fields have been defined in both the

candidate and job ad sections. Our

technology matches the right candidate

to the job specifications thus eliminating

the need to search numerous CV’s.

90 % of Head Hunter applicants are

already employed this suggest, amongst

many factors, that these candidates are

serious about their job search and career

progression. Head Hunter system

facilitates the convergence of talented

value-added personnel with growing

companies and industry leaders.


4 Social Media Best Practices As a small business owner, you can use social media touch to connect with customers and possible new employees. No matter what social media platform you use, your goal is to create engagement. The following points will help you get started. a) Broadcast your Company’s Unique Brand Social media gives voice to your company brand and tell stories that help clarify your employer brand. Your company’s website should demonstrate what makes your company unique to potential new hires. On your company website’s career page, highlight your company culture, work environment and company mission. Community philanthropy and mission-driven projects are of particular interest to Millennials. If you’re looking to hire this demographic, you’ll want to post images from company events or community activities on your company’s career page; always get approval from people featured in these photos beforehand. Through social media, your company can generate content that provides candidates with insight into your company, its culture and values. b) Engage your Workforce as Social Advocates Job seekers wants more visibility and transparency into the people who work at your company and social media is a great way to tell that story. Many companies encourage employees to be “Brand ambassadors.” These employees write about company events and promote job opportunities at the company. To grow your own ambassadors, focus first on employees who are active on social media. Be sure to give them clear parameters on how they should and should not communicate about your employer brand. Put


together some social media guidelines that all employees can reference when writing about your company online. As an employer, be clear about your company brand and give your employee the needed guidance to accurately portray it in their online communications. c) Use Facebook for Engagement Your company Facebook page can engage potential customers or current customers and serve as a meetup for your workers. A dynamic Facebook page can also demonstrate your company culture to potential job candidates. Use your Facebook page to highlight company events and gatherings, employee initiatives and achievements, as well as philanthropic activities at your company. Assign a social media-savvy employee to regularly publish new post to your company page to keep it current and engaging. Two or three post per week are sufficient. The Facebook Audience Insights tools provides demographic data that can help you determine whether or not you’re reaching your target audience as well as the reach and level of your engagement. This is the number of times that your post has come up on a scanned page, as well as the number of comments, shares or likes that your content receives.


d) Use Twitter to Expand Your Company’s Reach Twitter is a great place to promote your company’s job ads as well as your company brand and culture to potential job candidates. Your company’s Twitter feed is also a great way to share links about interesting developments within your industry as well as highlight news about your company. How can you best measure success on Twitter? Track your retweets, favourites and replies. Those are the things that you want to be looking at in comparison to your total number of followers and fans.

Questions that Will Help Clarify your Company Brand: Your Company Values: What do we as an organisation believe? How do we treat customers? How do we treat our employees? What values guide us every day? Your Company Culture: What makes our company unique? Why would a customer do business with us? What is our role in the company? What defines our workplace environment?


5 Mastering The Interview Process Hiring the right talent is one of the most important decision that you will make for business. That makes your candidate interviews especially important. The following tips will help you get the most from your interviews and ultimately make the best hire for your company. a) Learn the Details about the Job If you are not aware of the duties of the job to be filled, ask someone who is currently in the role about their daily schedule, challenges and duties. b) Know the Candidate Before you shake hands, research the candidate. Carefully review their resume. As you review their online profile avoid using personal information to influence your hiring decisions. c) Screen Candidates with Phone Interviews As a business owner or manager, time is always a precious resource. Phone interviews can help weed out candidates who don’t meet your basic job requirements. Have your thoughts and questions organised in advance – and on paper. This will enable you to ask the same questions of every candidate and track their responses. This process will help you select your top 2-3 candidates to schedule for a face-to-face interview. d) Ask a mix of Questions When you first reach out to a candidate, your goal should be to build a rapport before asking any technical or in-depth questions about the candidate’s experience.


Then, ask a few questions to help you determine if the candidate meets the job’s requirements, such as a college degree or required level of experience. If the candidate meets these expectations, you can introduce a few behavioural questions that will allow you to hear how they handle challenging situations at work. If there is mutual interest between you and the candidate after this initial conversation, go ahead and suggest a time when you can conduct a more in-depth interview, either over the phone or in person. Keep in mind that candidates who don’t qualify may now be of interest in the future. e) Broad Questions Can Help Assess Overall Character Asking open-ended questions will give the candidate a chance to reveal how they think and who they are. While specific skills may be a necessity for your position. It’s the candidate’s attitude that will matter most in their day-to-day duties. f) Detailed Questions can Assess Expertise Once you confirmed that the candidate qualifies for the position, drill down to assess subject-matter expertise and analytical skills. g) Observe their Style of Communication Have the candidate join a staff discussion in which they contribute their thoughts in a group setting. This will help you assess if they’re a real team player. Carefully observe the candidate’s body language, temper and congeniality. Are they comfortable with others? Do they know how to present themselves in a professional manner? h) Knowledge about your business Ask the candidate if they have any questions. A candidate who comes prepared with questions – and who knows something about your company


– is a good indication of their genuine interest in your trade and an ability to think strategically. i) Keep the Interview Legal Keep the discussion professional at all times. If a question feels too invasive or personal, most likely it is. Make sure that every person involved in the process is familiar with the “do’s and don’ts” of a legal interview.

6 On Boarding Your New Hire Onboarding, or orientation, is the last crucial step of the hiring process – one that can have a long-term impact, positive or negative, on your recruiting success. Help your new hire succeed and deliver value to your company with these pointers: a) Get Organised Create a reference guide that includes company information and resources that you’ll want to share with all new hires. The guide should include a staff directory, emergency phone numbers, as well as information about your company culture, dress code, social media, policy and other essentials. If possible, assign a trusted employee the task of overseeing the onboarding of new hires. This trusted source can help schedule their first day at work and provide new hires with needed resources.


b) Give your new hire a sense of control Provide your new employee with the information they’ll need to succeed on their first day. Give them clear directions on how to get to the office, where they should park, who they should ask for when they arrive. c) Encourage note-taking Avoid giving new hire information overload. Provide a pen and notebook and encourage them to take notes throughout the day for their own reference – or they can use an electronic device. d) Have needed resources in place If your new hire requires a desk, office cubicle, phone and computer make sure these resources are in place for their first day at work. Provide needed pens, paper and other supplies. e) Clarify their role and expectations On their first day at work take time to sit down with your new hire to review their responsibilities tasks and goals. Share your own expectations with your new hire and how you will measure their success. Create a written document of these tasks and expectations for future reference. f) Map out their first three months Help your new hire succeed by scheduling regular meetings throughout the first few months. These meetings can be as brief as fifteen minutes. Ask the new employee’s manager to weigh in with their perspective on how things are going. Address any issues before they escalate or become habitual. If needed, provide additional training.


7 Your Hiring Checklist 1. Create job ads that are clearly formatted and easy to scan. For

reference, search similar jobs on Caribbeanheadhunters.com or checkout “writing the job description” in our Resource Centre

2. All job descriptions should include a brief section that describes

what makes your small business culture and benefits unique. Ask currently employees for their input. Incorporate this information on your career page, company Facebook page and on other social media platforms.

3. Encourage your social media-savvy employees to become

company brand ambassadors. Provide them with social media guidelines in how to communicate about your company and its brand.

4. Take adequate time to prepare for candidate interviews. Consider

creating an interview guide that includes proper protocol and interview questions to ask, particularly for recurring jobs. This guide can serve as a reference for others who conduct interviews in your organisation.

5. Create a good impression for your new hire by planning out their

first day and beyond. Give them the orientation they need to succeed. During their first few months, Schedule regular check-ins with your new hire and their manager to see how things are going.

Visit our Resource Centre for more information on: Building Your Brand Brand Recognition Strategic Alliances Attracting Synergies Writing The Job Description ….and much more

Head Hunter Guide To Small Business Hiring In 2016

Recruiting & HR

Transcript of Head Hunter Guide To Small Business Hiring In 2016