A 6-Step Guide to Finding Great Talent for Your Business

Finding great talent is essential to business growth.

Being able to get the right people into the right roles is key to continuing success. If you have a small business, it can be especially hard to find great talent. While larger companies have the resources and sometimes the necessity to have a formal process for hiring employees, even smaller businesses must take care when choosing new team members.

When you find the right person for a job, your business will reap the rewards and the team member will feel like they are part of something special. Here are some ways that companies can find great talent for your business.

Using Referrals

One of the best ways to find new talent is by leveraging your network. Your current employees and trusted advisers should be able to help with referrals and many times, these people will know exactly what you need in a candidate. Whether it's for construction executive recruitment or personal assistant recruitment, referrals from trusted acquaintances are usually an effective strategy. It's important to take advantage of this resource rather than ignore it.

After all, these people are among your most trusted advisers and work with you daily. Not only will they help bring in great talent, but they'll reduce the amount of time spent finding that person. It's especially critical for small businesses to use referrals because hiring errors could be devastating.

Posting on Career Sites and Job Boards

Another great way to find quality talent is by posting on online job boards and career sites. This method will let you target the specific employees that meet your needs, but it also takes a lot of time to post and review resumes. For this reason, you should use online job boards and career sites as a supplement to other methods. It's not wise to rely exclusively on this method because it may take too long to bring someone on board.

While some people find success with online job postings, the most successful companies are those that leverage their networks for tips. You'll be more successful if you combine all of the methods that you can rather than rely on just one.

Through Social Networks

Some companies find new talent through their social networks. This is especially helpful if you work in a niche industry or are looking for someone that's very knowledgeable about the sector. Even if you're not looking for an expert, having conversations with people online can provide some prospects for your business.

The problem with relying on social media is that it isn't always an accurate representation of a person. Many people will post flattering pictures or information to make themselves appear better than they are in real life. It's important to consider this when using social media for hiring purposes.

Conducting Reference Checks

There's no way to know if someone is who they say they are without checking their references. You should always conduct reference checks on new hires because it's the only way to ensure that you're getting someone qualified. This can happen before or after you offer them a position, but it needs to be part of your hiring process.

At first, this may seem like an unnecessary step since they have already gone through other parts of the interview process. However, a reference check is the best way to see what a person's work style is like and how they will fit into your business.

Use Your Marketing Assets

A great way to find new talent is by using resources that you already have. For instance, many companies use events and conferences as a way to meet new people and establish connections. You can even consider hosting your own event or conference to bring in potential business partners or employees.

When you host events, you'll get a chance to show off your business and demonstrate what the company is about. If the person likes your corporate culture and values, they may be willing to work there even if it's not in their current job description.

Make Hyper-Specific LinkedIn Queries to Find Your Dream Candidate

The recruiting industry is completely different from what it was even five years ago. Companies are struggling to find the best candidates for their open positions, but they're also having a hard time finding new talent in general. With so much focus on referrals and word-of-mouth hiring, some companies will have more success than others when it comes to finding new employees.

Recruiting professionals have begun using a variety of strategies and tools, but many agree that LinkedIn is the best resource for finding great talent. While networking on this platform may seem limited at first, you can use special queries to find people who would be a good fit for your company.

Not every strategy will work for everyone or every business. You need to consider all your options and see which one is the best fit for your team. Experiment with different strategies to see what works well for you.

You can find great talent in your business by using these seven steps to guide you through the process. If you're looking for tips on how to improve your hiring process, refer back to this article when preparing your next candidate.