How to Recruit on a Budget
No matter what your business does and which sector it’s based in, people are your greatest asset. From full-time members of staff to freelancers, consultants and outsourced service suppliers, everyone who contributes to your business needs to share your passion and goals.
When it comes to recruitment, it can often be difficult to find the right people at the right time. Sometimes there will be plenty of qualified and suitable candidates wanting to join your business when there aren’t any vacancies available. Then when you’re in a position to take on new staff, it could be that all of these individuals have secured roles with other companies.
Another major barrier to recruitment is money. Whether you’re operating on a shoestring budget or have a few pounds to spare but not enough for a major campaign, the cost of recruitment has to be factored in. But don’t let this get you down, as our innovative business advisors have put together some practical tips for attracting top talent without going over budget.
Use your digital platforms
Even if you’re not currently recruiting, it’s crucial that your website, social media channels, blog, email campaigns, online PR coverage and other forms of digital marketing are accurately reflecting your brand. Whilst the main objective of these online platforms is to generate leads and drive sales, they also play an active role in attracting likeminded professionals to your brand.
When all of your digital marketing is active, informative and engaging, you’ll find that more people get in touch about joining your team. Then when it comes to filling a position quickly, effectively and affordably, you could even find yourself spoilt for choice.
Quality over quantity
It’s tempting to think that the more applications you receive, the better. However, the recruitment process takes longer with each CV reading session and interview required, so quality is very much key.
Whilst you should of course aim to have a few candidates to consider, you don’t want to be overwhelmed. That’s why a strategic and targeted recruitment campaign rather than a scattergun approach will result in a greater relevance of candidates, making the selection process much faster.
Rather than wasting multiple hours that could have been invested into more profitable areas of the business, you can take on new staff in a highly efficient way. Never forget that time is money, so use it wisely every single day.
Ask your staff for suggestions
Workers tend to know other people who work in the same sector. For instance, if you run an engineering consultancy, your existing engineers will almost certainly know of many others who may be interested in applying for a position at your company.
We understand that you may worry about employees recommending other people simply because they’re close friends, which could result in a candidate proving unsuitable. However, bear in mind that an unsuitable recommendation would reflect badly on the team member as well as the candidate, so it’s well worth accessing your employees’ networks when searching for experienced professionals interested in a new challenge.
Business advisory for SMEs
We’re not just accountants, as we also support SMEs and start-ups across the UK through exceptional business advisory services. To find out more about how we can help you to run a more sustainable business, call our Yorkshire office on 01482 235575, our London office on 0207 885 0605, or fill in the contact form below.
Tagged as: Small Business Help
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