How Your Startup Can Attract the Best Talent
When trying to attract talent to join an SME, several irritants need to be overcome. Inability to pay the highest salary, less benefits offered, infrastructure and support system in need of an upgrade - these are but a few of them. However, there are a few things which your startup can do - without spending too much - to help a candidate mentally accept the prospect of working for you.It"s All About The Image
A startup or SME has to fight a number of pre-conceived notions about small organizations. It has to get the word out that it is not a fly-by-night operator and has the intentions, capacity and capability to go the long haul. In short, it has to portray a certain image. And image is what it boils down to in the race to hire the best.
Though image is a very vague concept, there are some tangible steps you can take towards creating a great image for your organizations.
Be Transparent
While recruiting for a position in your startup or SME, be very upfront about the role, the company and the compensation. Though you might be tempted to gloss over company details and inflate the numbers, your candour will be a refreshing change for the candidate and will be much appreciated by him.
Be Respectful
Show a lot of respect for your current employees. Your employees can be your best brand ambassadors if they are treated right. Show respect not only for their abilities but also for them as individuals. Respect their time and priorities.
Be Communicative
Good leadership begins with good communications. Be forthcoming about the company"s plans for the future because they are correlated to the employees" future prospects. If the startup is going through initial teething troubles or a lean patch, let the employees know what is happening and how you plan on handling the situation.
Be Flexible
Do not get bogged down by precedents and procedures, rules and regulations. Be open to accepting new ideas because they are the ones which lead to innovation. Let the employees work flexible timings so long as work gets done. Explore the possibilities of allowing work-from-home policies for employees with genuine needs.
Be Hands-off
Trust your hiring skills and let your employees have some degree of independence. ENcourage them to think outside of the box and work on ideas which they think are good. Constantly looking over the shoulders of an employee will turn out to be counter-productive. Give them their tasks and responsibilities and let them know what is expected and when - then sit back and trust them to do their work to the best.
Be Generous
For SMEs, pay scales are always a matter of concern. You cannot always afford to match the Big Guns in compensation. However, try to give to your maximum. Reward good performances by recognising them publicly and giving them a small gift. A small bonus when not expected as part of the salary will be a huge morale-booster and will increase employee loyalty.
Get The Word Out
After you do all of the above for your current employees, you need to let the world know. As they say, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Since you have made your office a great place to work in, let your employees talk about it. Use employee testimonials on your company blog and website. Positive testimonials from ex-employees can be even more effective.
To sum it up, to get the best talent, treat your current employees well and let them be your brand ambassadors.