It’s a great time to be an entrepreneur. The rise of the digital landscape makes it accessible for people like you to start building an enterprise with little more than a computer and internet connection. Ideally, you’ll see some growth over time. As your company develops, you’ll need to recruit staff to ensure you keep thriving.
This will always be among the most important decisions you make as a business leader. The quality of the staff you recruit can seriously impact your success. However, not every startup has the budget to dedicate to a professional recruitment service. The good news is that, with some solid strategies, you can identify, attract, and onboard great talent independently.
Emphasize What’s Attractive to Candidates
One of the things often overlooked by DIY entrepreneurs is that recruiting isn’t just about finding the right candidates for the job. There are a lot of talented professionals out there. As a result, you also need to demonstrate to the candidates that your company could be a good match for them and, therefore, worth applying to. One way to approach this is to lean into attributes of your business that are most likely to be priorities for your target demographic.
For instance, being on the cutting edge of technology is a priority for some professionals and they are keen to engage with exciting startups. You can lean into the innovative tech ideas that could highlight your business as being a forward-thinking and dynamic place to work. For instance, drone photography is present in various industries—from real estate to film production—and you could highlight on your website how this tech fits into your processes.
Mobile app development is not just a great startup idea in itself but can also be a part of eCommerce retailers’ business models. Creating content about how you’re adopting such tools can show candidates that your company has fascinating tech ambitions they can be a part of.
Another element to emphasize is the support you’re dedicated to providing workers. This should include the basics such as salary and benefits listed on your job postings. A recent Gallup poll found that 64% of employees are seeking a significant increase in income or benefits from their next roles. It’s vital to demonstrate your willingness to invest in them, too. For instance, you can outline programs to subsidize professional certifications and provide performance or profit-based bonuses.
Leverage Digital Tools
One of the great things about being a DIY entrepreneur today is that you have access to a wide variety of digital tools. With a little planning, many of these are effective for recruiting independently.
Social media channels
Social media has become the primary tool for your business to reach a global audience. From a recruitment perspective, this can be a fantastic way to build a diverse remote team from an international talent pool. According to a recent study, 79% of job seekers are using social media in their efforts. You can focus on professional platforms, like LinkedIn, where people are already actively looking for jobs in your industry.
That said, platforms like Twitter and Instagram can still be powerful. You don’t necessarily need to include all the job info on these posts, you can include a link to the recruitment page on the post description instead. It’s more important to grab attention immediately with visually stimulating images related to the position you’re hiring for. Don’t forget to hashtag your posts sparingly with keywords relevant to the position.
Onboarding software
It’s not just reaching candidates that can be difficult during recruitment. Creating a smooth transition through application, interviews, and onboarding processes can impact candidates’ impressions of your company.
When it comes to streamlining the onboarding experience, onboarding software platforms are digital tools that can help address the challenges of professionals’ first days with your company, improving both engagement and retention. These act as central online hubs to provide workers with documents regarding company culture and protocols, interactive training tools, and customized introductions to the duties and expectations of a role.
Particularly if you’re hiring for remote teams, this is by far one of the most efficient ways to interact with candidates. Wherever possible, prioritize onboarding platforms that have video calling features, so you can use them to connect with candidates for interviews. This gets them immediately familiar with the platform you’re using even before they’ve joined the company. It’s also an efficient way to share job descriptions and issue offers.
Lean Into Your Networks
Your network of professional connections is among your most important resources as a solo entrepreneur. This isn’t just useful for learning about new business opportunities. It can also help you boost your recruitment efforts with personal recommendations and even access to candidates who weren’t already actively looking for a new job.
Make sure you have a clear idea of what you’re looking for in your candidate. The more clarity you can provide to your network connections, the more likely you are to get recommendations for the right people. This may not just be the technical elements of the job, but also the values and soft skills you’re looking for. Creating a formal ideal candidate profile can be a good resource to email your network members.
Remember that recruiting through your network tends to be more effective when you’ve spent time developing a genuinely supportive group. People who have a good understanding of what matters to you as a businessperson can result in network members passing on details of candidates who they feel would mesh well with you and your business. Importantly, be open to making candidate recommendations when other members need them, too. Mutually supportive entrepreneurial networks tend to be more sustainable and positive experiences for everyone.
Conclusion
Recruiting as a DIY entrepreneur requires a little strategy and an openness to utilize multifaceted tools. This includes emphasizing qualities that your ideal candidates feel are important and leveraging social media platforms, among others.
It’s vital to remember, though, that both your business’s needs and the recruitment environment will change over time. Once you’ve started to see some success from your hires and experience more growth, it’s wise to get professional guidance either by hiring full-time recruitment staff or working with a recruitment service.
