How to find employees for your small business
The search for employees often begins, not with a job posting or a job search ad, but with your company identity. Your identity is your culture. Your identity is your message. Your identity is the answer to the question “Why would anyone want to be on my team?” »
A small to medium business (SME) owner needs to put in time and energy when opening a new business. When opening a business, traders should seek to hire competent staff with relevant experience.
Finding the perfect candidate will require word of mouth, advertising on social media platforms, placing help wanted posters and posting on job search platforms, said Elie Katz, president and CEO of National Retail Solutions (NRS).
“Set guidelines for what you are looking for in a candidate. For example, hiring staff with welcoming and warm personalities is critical when focusing on customer service,” Katz said. “Ensuring that customers have a great shopping experience and customer loyalty and retention are highly dependent on customer service. Other qualities to look for in an employee include teamwork, reliability, honesty, professionalism, and a strong work ethic.
To successfully start and run a business, store owners need to advertise, source candidates, and train employees to handle day-to-day business tasks and responsibilities. Katz offered four tips to help retailers achieve this:
Advertising on social media
To post staff hires on social media, the first step is to locate the appropriate platforms for the business. Facebook and Instagram are the best social media platforms for job postings. Both of these social media target both young and older audiences, ensuring that a store owner reaches the right audience. Platforms like Twitter and TikTok should not be used to reach older audiences. Many people use these platforms for non-commercial videos, unless it’s a self-proclaimed start-up that caters to a younger audience.
“You can also use other platforms such as LinkedIn, Indeed, ZipRecruiter and Career Builder. These websites will display what the business owner is looking for in a candidate, such as salary, qualifications, job description, benefits and location,” Katz said. “The employer can also link an application to the job posting or create an application for potential candidates to fill out. In general, the publication of job offers does not require any payment.
Retailers can also display a Help Wanted sign or attend school job fairs to expand their advertising and reach more candidates. Many students strive to secure an internship or start full-time work immediately after graduation. An internship can be paid or unpaid and helps a graduate gain experience and/or a portfolio for their resume. Building a relationship with various colleges for interns and hiring newbies can generate direct referral leads.
Recruit potential candidates
“Once several candidates have applied, it’s time to sort through each of them to determine which one is qualified and interesting to set up an interview,” Katz said. “During the interview, it is important to read his body language; note how they respond to questions, their attitude, experience and accomplishments. By doing this, you can assess whether the candidate is a good fit for the job.
The ideal candidate must demonstrate enthusiasm for the position, experience and a positive attitude. Ask them how they would handle a disagreement. Employees who do not offer solutions to problems or who have a poor attitude toward working with others may be unemployable. In a position involving interaction with customers, it is essential that the employee be a friendly and proactive team player, to ensure that customers have a positive shopping experience.
If a position you’re filling requires a particular skill, you can have candidates take an at-home test to assess their skills. The test will help gauge their level of knowledge on that particular subject, which can also help determine if they are the best fit for your position.
“Contacting references and doing your research can be invaluable in really getting to know their skills and personality. Don’t just call out the names they provide you with. If possible, ask others who know them personally or have worked with them before,” Katz said. “Check their personal social media profiles if you can locate them. You can tell a lot about someone from what they post online.
The hiring process
During your interview, you can discuss the benefits available to your employees, beyond salary. If you have a second follow-up interview, then you will have the opportunity to go into more practical details about the day-to-day operations of the position. Do you offer benefits, paid time off, 401K matching, or bonuses? Answer these questions before hiring.
More communication before hiring means fewer surprises later. If you need a drug test, criminal background check or something else, make sure the candidate is fully aware of it. It is always best to communicate in writing, keep records of discussions and clarify your offer.
Training your employees
“If your company already has experienced employees, ask them to train new hires to fit the role while showing them the ropes,” Katz said. “New hires will feel more comfortable having someone guiding them, rather than doing the work on their own.”
Even experienced workers can benefit from the same orientation as new hires and use it as a refresher. There are different training methods for employees. Some include hands-on learning, job rotation, video training, and instructor-led training. Have a user-friendly point of sale (POS) to make cash management easier for beginners. Make sure your team learns and retains information from the training. Assess how well your training methods are working and how to properly train your staff so they can do their jobs effectively.
If you’re wondering how you can afford to hire more employees, consider a cash advance. With a cash advance, you can get the funds you need within 24-48 hours, unlike a bank loan which can be more complicated and time consuming. While trying to find the best employees for your business, having the cash on hand is essential to ensure you have enough money to pay your employees and grow your business, while operating the store.
“You got off to a good start,” Katz said. “The excitement of building a business is worth the hard work. Getting your facility right and finding a great team of employees can be stress-free if you approach it systematically, with a plan. Make lists and set deadlines. word to the local community and welcome help. You’ll be amazed at how quickly all the pieces fall into place – and even with challenges, you can proudly watch your business grow and prosper.”