Small businesses with subpar employees often have a difficult time surviving. Since small businesses rely so heavily on great people working their hardest, they need top talent even more than the major players in their industries. In order to attract that top talent, crafting an enticing recruiting pitch is essential. It’s not about finding people in general – it’s about finding the people who were practically built for the position.
It’s worthwhile spending extra time building your pitch. If your pitch isn’t strong enough the first time, you may wind up with employees that don’t stick around for the long haul. This leads to tons of recruitment cycles when you could be spending your time and money growing your business instead. Craft your pitch and take your time – the results will speak for themselves.
1. Emphasize Your Culture
All the money in the world won’t count for anything if a company’s culture is abysmal. People don’t want to dread coming in to work every morning or to give their time to a company whose ideals they don’t support, even if the pay is good. If you don’t yet have a cultural foundation established, it’s time to start building one. Even the smallest of businesses will benefit from a great company culture. It will keep morale up and enrich the lives of your employees.
Open communication, empowerment, charity work, and celebration are among the easiest things to implement in your workplace regardless of the size of your business. Getting involved in your local community and valuing diversity will give your business character. People will feel good about the work they do, and they’ll want to become a long term member of your team.
2. Use Visual Representations
Regular job ads contain little more than text. They’re typically generic, and they always ask for the same things. Every business writes a novel about how they want motivated self-starters who pay attention to detail. At this point, those things are a given. Move away from the norm, and start exploring your employment pitch from unconventional angles.
Highly talented individuals are looking for a job with greater promise. Include photos or videos in your online pitch. The nuances that would be lost in a virtual pitch can be better characterized through visuals. You might not be able to meet every candidate that you’re pitching to, but video and photos can help bridge the gap. The inclusion of these unique elements will also help your pitch stand out in the minds of the people who see it.
3. Mention More Than Money
The salary may not be one of the most alluring reasons to work for a small business. Small businesses can’t afford to pay their employees a salary that would allow them to live a lofty lifestyle, but they may be able to offer smaller and more thoughtful things that make the job worth doing.
Flexible scheduling is one of those things. A lot of people, particularly those with families, are seeking a better work-life balance. An employee wellness program can help you fetch top talent, and it doesn’t need to be excessively expensive to implement. Can you offer remote working opportunities for talented employees who like to travel? Those with a great work ethic and an adventurous spirit will appreciate the freedom that comes with their position.
4. Give Ambitious People Something to Look Forward To
Dead end jobs are an outright nightmare for people who feel competent in their skills as a professional and want to secure a higher position. Room to move up is extremely important to career climbers. Unfortunately, this room might be difficult to offer for small businesses. If you intend on expanding your small business, promotions can be designated for your new locations or your expansion into eCommerce. Let qualified candidates know that you’re growing and that they’re invited to grow right along with you.
If you aren’t yet in a position to make these promises, entice ambitious people with empowerment. You can trust the right candidate to make sound decisions, or even innovate the way you run your business. It doesn’t matter if management is in the title of the position. Ambitious people like the freedom to call some important shots, and they appreciate feeling trusted and valued.
5. Offer a Tour as Part of Your Pitch
Inviting people to visit you before they formally apply for the position is the ultimate way to show them that you aren’t exaggerating. By experiencing the work environment for themselves, candidates will be able to tell whether or not they’re a good fit based on objective knowledge of the situation. They can meet your team members and see if they’ll be able to effectively work together as a winning team.
A tour also presents an opportunity for questions and answers. Candidates can ask you questions based on what they’ve seen and experienced, and you can get to know them a little better too. This is the perfect opportunity to begin a strong working relationship.
6. Change Your Pitch for Top Talent
If you’re using professional social networking to fill an unadvertised position, you’re at an unparalled advantage. You can speak to candidates directly, and you already have some insight into what they’d like to hear. When you find a great candidate, take notes on their profile. Where have they worked before? What do they specialize in? Do they have any unique skills?
Take your insider information and use it to create a tailored pitch. Why would their skills and qualifications be an asset to your business? Answer these questions in your pitch, but remember that you’re the one doing the selling. Be willing to wine and dine an amazing candidate when you find one.
7. Make Your Pitch Competitive
You’re not the only one hiring in your niche. Your competitors, particularly if they’re larger businesses, might be able to hire more and offer more to those hires. Before you start building your own pitch, spend some time on job boards. Look at your competitors pitches, and see where the overlap is.
Then take those redundant points and make them even better. What can you as a small business provide more effectively and directly than a larger business? Personalized attention, specialized training, and a closer working environment are great places to start. Don’t lie – just alternate which points become the primary focus of your pitch.
As a small business, it might take you longer to successfully secure top talent. Even if it does, it’s worth the wait. Small businesses need amazing employees to help them grow to achieve their potential. It starts with the strength of your pitch, and everything else falls into place from there. Even if you need to adjust your pitch a few times, you’ll get to the point where fetching amazing employees is twice as easy as it used to be.
