Being a small business, you may not have a dedicated hiring team or the resources that big businesses typically have but you definitely have the upper hand when it comes to hiring flexibility. Unlike large companies with complex hierarchies and predefined policies, small businesses do not have to go through several steps and people to get recruiting done.
Here are six advantages to being a small business that put you in a better position to attract A players:
1. The freedom to offer flexible options
Big companies are governed by standard operating procedures and set policies that often restrict the hiring team from offering some additional benefits or flexibility like work from home, flexi-time, part-time, increased vacation, emergency leaves, job rotation, performance incentives or other benefits that can attract candidates who are looking for some form of flexibility which does not exist in big companies.
2. Greater control over processes and procedures
Small businesses don’t need to abide by predefined rules and regulations unlike big companies that need to go through a lot of paperwork and involve more than a few people to revitalize any existing procedure. This is exactly why a small business exerts more control over the sourcing cycle – whether it involves changing of the social media recruiting strategy for better or modifying the application process and making it easier for busy A players.
3. The ability to offer remote opportunities
A small business offering remote job opportunities where geography is not a deciding factor can fill the talent pipeline much faster. Also, with a smaller team, managing and monitoring the work of remote positions is quick and easy which is not possible in a large organization where any employee working remotely can get lost in the shuffle.
4. The autonomy to offer a balanced work-life
Since a small company is relatively more flexible in the way the workflow is structured, it does not have rigid operating processes and can be more open to allowing employees to work from home or work at flexible hours. The millennials love this autonomy and flexibility when it comes to working and small companies can practically sell their open positions by offering millennials the freedom to work their way.
5. The flexibility to explore multiple recruiting options
Large companies are usually controlled by legacy policies that keep them restricted to standard recruiting practices but when it comes to recruitment for small businesses, they have seemingly endless options to explore. If you are a small business looking to leverage technology for faster and better hiring, there are plenty of tools at your disposal.
6. The advantage of tailoring packages to suit prospective candidates
Small-business owners can easily alter their package and offer attractive perks like extra pay for high-performance, a vacation for achieving sales targets or a compensatory off for putting in extra hours when needed. This may also include a health benefit plan or a great retirement savings program which has life-long impact. Small businesses can do whatever is possible, feasible, and lures people to work for a growing company so use this to your advantage and sell your prospective candidates the advantage of having what actually matters to them.
For instance, most small businesses are now using applicant tracking systems to automate their hiring process and do more with less. An applicant tracking system (ATS) has several benefits for a small business that has limited time and fewer resources. An ATS is designed to streamline and simplify every process of the hiring cycle right from job posting and screening resumes to scheduling interview slots and sending emails to shortlisted candidates. By deploying recruiting software, any small business can advertise openings on multiple platforms within minutes, screen candidates in a fraction of seconds and send multiple emails to several candidates with a single click.
If you are a small business that is strapped for time and struggling to hire, take advantage of an ATS and attract the best candidates even while you continue to focus on what you do best – running your business!
Kelly Barcelos, Digital Marketing Manager, www.jobsoid.com
