How to Attract a Talented Marketer to Work for Your Small Business

Small businesses face challenges that are unique to them when it comes to finding and recruiting top talent. This is a result of several factors including, yet certainly not limited to, a lack of reputation and an unclear business structure. Marketers want and need to feel secure within the company that they work for. Additionally, many have reported to look for a company that is in line with their personal belief system and provides an opportunity to be challenged, take pride in their work and promote within.

Create a Strong Brand and Culture

In order for a small business to truly attract top talent, including a top marketing team, you’ll need to build a strong company brand that has a positive culture at its core. Doing so will help attract the talent you want, while you offer them the values and perks that they want. Unlike the workforce of the past, today, 72% of graduating students who are seeking their future place of employment, are actively searching for a company that shares in their belief system, provides perks beyond the standard and can provide a challenge.

Top marketers, in many ways, are motivated by the same working desires as new students entering the workforce. They have an overwhelming preference to market for a company that they believe in, and one that’s capable of becoming a proud addition to their portfolio. For this reason, whether you’re trying to recruit an all-star workforce, or a top marketer with a proven track record, you’ll want to develop a recruiting strategy. A recruiting strategy is designed to meet your needs, highlight what your company stands for and show what your company can provide. Here are tips for your small business recruiting strategy:

Sell Your “Smallness”

Often the smallness of a company is seen as a negative characteristic among business owners. However, in actuality, it’s that smallness that allows you to offer unique benefits. The fact that you operate a smaller business, allows you to offer priceless advantages to potential employees that are just not possible within larger companies. You should be able to “sell” your “smallness” by pointing out the potential of growth within the company, the opportunity to learn valuable skills beyond a position and the often rare experience of working within an established company that places employees alongside the decision makers.

One of the greatest challenges for job seekers is locating a company that can provide an open line of communication between all company members. This is a vital advantage, for it provides an opportunity to take part in collaborating on ideas. Though this may seem small, in actuality, it’s rather important to new employees. It allows them the opportunity to offer input on the direction of the company so they are personally invested. This opportunity will promote involvement and often lead toward a new development, business structure or operational practice.This helps employees identify with the business, gain independence and instill confidence.

Recruit with Social media

Social media platforms will provide you with the opportunity to reach talented candidates that you otherwise wouldn’t be aware of, or make contact with. However utilizing social media, in the right way, is essential for capitalizing on this modern day opportunity. Currently 52% of businesses fail to properly use social media within their recruiting strategy, which counteracts the bulk of their recruiting efforts. Don’t let this happen to you.

In order to effectively attract talent for your workforce through social media, you’ll need to interact regularly. This includes active participation within forum threads and involvement within groups catered to specific ideas. Use groups to share top trending online “finds”.

Having a company group or page is also essential, as it will allow potential candidates to see an inside view of your company. You should promote involvement on the company pagefrom current employees. This will show candidates the type of personalities that they’ll be working with, the experience that current employees have with your company and what they might expect being a new addition to the team. In many ways by having an active company group, you offer a glimpse into what working within your company will be like.

Recruiting the “Best” by Opening up Your Company

Effective recruiting that effectively attracts quality talent can be as simple as showing off what you have. Instead of fearing your smallness, highlight it. This will show unique advantages far beyond what large companies can provide. Additionally, through social media, you can become well-known to the candidates that you have been striving to recruit. By revamping your recruiting strategy to point out company values, creating unique company perks and taking active steps to create a company culture geared towards a newer and younger workforce, you’ll be able to get and keep the best of the best.