The success of your business depends on the quality of the team you have around you. To drive the company forward and create a work culture that aligns with your values, you need the right people with the appropriate skills, experience, and personal qualities. That’s why it’s essential to recruit the right people.
From polishing your employer branding to asking unconventional interview questions, this article by the UK’s top company formation agent, 1st Formations, explores the top recruitment techniques for small businesses.
Perfect your employer branding
For an efficient and successful recruitment process, start by crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s on your employer branding. Is your website up to date? Are you active on social media and are your brand pages easy to find?
To attract the right people, you should ensure that all these key channels contain accurate information about what your company does, where it aspires to be, and why someone should consider working there.
If you have employees already, working with them to develop a brand profile on your chosen job board(s) is also a valuable recruitment technique. For example, on the 1st Formations Indeed profile, you’ll see various company details, such as revenue, well-being scores, employee reviews, and salary information.
All these factors are grouped to give your business an average rating, giving potential staff a realistic picture of what it’s like to work with you. To appeal to suitable recruits, you should ask existing employees to provide honest reviews of their experience in your company.
Remember that directors are employees, too, so if you don’t yet have a team as such, directors’ reviews are just as valuable. As your team then grows, you should encourage staff to provide feedback so that you can update your employer profiles in the future.
This is the research that candidates will do before deciding whether to apply for your advertised role. So, before you start recruiting, it’s essential that your employer branding is up to scratch.
Clearly define the job role
Just like you’ll have to comb through endless CVs during the recruitment process, candidates will come across hundreds of job ads during their search. To make yours stand out and to attract the right calibre of candidates, be clear and concise about the job, what you’re looking for, and what benefits you offer.
The good news is that you’re at quite the advantage here as small companies are often more exciting to work for than large businesses, but it’s still important to maintain a focused job description.
By all means, open with a snapshot of your company background; what sector it operates in, when it was formed, and what its USP is. However, don’t get too caught up in the finer details. The right candidate will conduct thorough research into your values and ethos, which will be reflected in their interview (if invited).
Also, lengthy job ads with excessive company information can deter applicants, so remember that it’s all about quality, not quantity – focus on the role and what your requirements are. If in doubt, try following this structure as a general guide:
- Introduction to the company – An honest overview of the business, including a snapshot of the company culture and values.
- Job summary – A clear job title, salary range, who the position reports to, and the core skills and experience required to excel in the role. Explain the working hours here and the type of role you’re recruiting for (full or part-time, home or office-based, permanent or apprenticeship etc.)
- Responsibilities – Bullet points clearly explaining the specific daily duties associated with the role. Steer away from generic statements, such as “Passionate, with attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure” as these are vague and could apply to any role.
- Job requirements – The specific experience, skills, and qualifications a successful candidate should have. Be realistic with your expectations as too long a list can discourage people from applying.
- Benefits – Detail the work benefits and perks. Lead with meaningful benefits like healthcare, pension, and work-life balance. Then, include additional perks that echo your company culture, like a pet-friendly office.
Finally, while it might be tempting to use artificial intelligence (AI) to save time and write the ad for you, it’s crucial to be authentic. Despite how sophisticated these systems have become, AI-generated content is easy to spot and it could put some applicants off.
Also, you wouldn’t expect candidates to use AI to answer your interview questions, so you should make the effort to conduct a natural recruitment process.
If you have an HR or people manager, they should take the time to write a genuine job description. Otherwise, if you’re preparing to recruit for the very first time, this responsibility lies with you, the business owner.
Make the most of free advertising options
When you’re ready to start recruiting for the role in question, you’ll be pleased to hear there are plenty of free options out there.
Firstly, register with free job boards. Indeed, is one of the most popular online job boards in the UK. Not only is it simple for both employers and jobseekers to use, but with over 350 million unique visitors per month, you’ll access one of the biggest talent pools in the world. Other useful boards for small businesses to recruit through are Glassdoor and Reed.
Having said that, if you can afford to work with a recruiter, we recommend you do so. Recruitment isn’t easy or quick, so getting professional assistance will considerably free you up and eliminate a lot of the stress that comes with hiring.
Secondly, don’t forget to share your vacancies on social media. LinkedIn is a major platform that you might find useful for recruitment as it’s specifically business-focused, but be sure to advertise on your Facebook, Instagram, and X page, too, to increase your talent reach.
Lastly, reach out to your professional network. Let them know you’re recruiting and see if they know any suitable candidates. Having someone recommended to you by a mutual contact is an excellent, fast-track way to find high-quality employees. Partnering with sales recruiters can also help you tap into specialized talent pools and find the best candidates for your sales team.
Keep the recruitment process swift and simple
The length of the recruitment process itself is paramount. Like wordy job descriptions, complex interviews with too many stages can not only make you lose focus but also discourage the candidate – not to mention that as a busy business owner, you don’t have the luxury of time to play with.
So, what’s the sweet spot? According to a poll by the recruitment firm, Eden Scott, the optimal number of interview stages is two. In fact, most (62%) of those surveyed said they’re reluctant to attend any more than that.
For a small business, that could consist of a 15-minute screening call with an HR rep, the purpose of which is to short-list the most suitable candidates. Then, a longer interview with yourself and the line manager, focusing on the applicant’s experience, skills, and character.
Alternatively, if you’re still at the one-man-band stage, you might prefer to conduct one in-depth interview.
Now, another question you might be asking yourself is “Should I do in-person or virtual interviews?” As we established, the schedule of a business owner can be hectic, but jobseekers are busy, too. By opting for virtual interviews, you’ll maximise your availability and flexibility, and speed the recruitment process along.
However, if you prefer a face-to-face experience, it’s perfectly reasonable to ask candidates to attend interviews in person. Of course, this is space-permitting. If you don’t have an office of your own, why not meet them for a coffee or hire a meeting room in a robust location?
Ask unique questions
In a small team, personalities, working styles, and personal values are just as important as skills and experience. So, when recruiting, be sure to ask candidates unique questions that will give you an insight into who they really are.
There’s still a place for traditional questions like “Tell me about a time when you worked under pressure” or “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”, but you should also think outside the box to truly get to know them (and break the ice).
Here are some more unusual but purposeful questions you can try:
- What is your spirit animal? – Simple but effective, this question gives you a deeper understanding of the candidate’s character. If they respond with “sloth”, perhaps they’re too laid-back or unambitious, making them unfit for the role. However, if they say “wolf”, for example, you might gather that they’re loyal, intelligent, and natural leaders.
- What are your three deserted island items? – This one isn’t quite about resourcefulness, but rather values and strategic thinking. If you’re looking for a true problem-solver and forward-thinker, you might expect an answer like “a fully-charged smartphone, a lighter, and plenty of water.”
- What would you do with an elephant that you couldn’t give away or sell? – To truly test how well someone thinks on their feet, ask them this quirky question. If they’re too preoccupied by being caught off guard, then maybe they don’t have the problem-solving skills you’re looking for. However, if they say “I’d find a safe, roomy field for it to stay in, look after it and feed it, and maybe ride it to work,” you’ll see that they’re caring, responsible, and have a sense of humour.
The great thing about these unusual questions is that there’s no right or wrong answer. It’s also interesting to see how interviewees respond to unexpected or funny questions and it gives you plenty of new insights into who they are and how they think and work.
Don’t leave recruits in limbo
Our final recruitment tip is to always respond to interviewees. Not only is it respectful of both your and their time, but it also strengthens your reputation as a responsive employer. If you advertise on Indeed, you’ll even receive a ‘Responsive Employer’ badge, indicating to applicants that their time won’t be wasted.
Try to give feedback as swiftly as possible, ensuring that the candidate’s answers are as fresh in your mind as possible. Generally, they’ll expect to hear back from you within a week. If for whatever reason you need more time, simply be upfront with the applicant and manage expectations from the get-go.
It’s also a kind gesture to respond to the applicants who haven’t made it to the interviews. A quick and simple e-mail thanking them for their time and interest in your company can go a long way and encourage them to apply for future roles. Again, don’t use AI or a generic template. If you can, send them a real, considerate message.
Naturally, the closer you get to the end of the recruitment process, the fewer positive follow-ups you’ll have to make. After all, only one person (presumably) can get the job. So, you need to be prepared to deliver prompt rejections as well as good news.
Final words
Recruitment isn’t quick or easy. Especially for new business owners with a million and one things to do (and who haven’t done it before), it can be an overwhelming process to navigate. For the most efficient approach, use our top requirement techniques for small businesses in this guide.
Author: 1st Formations is the UK’s leading company formation agent. Having formed over 1 million companies, they are the experts in their field. If you’re ready to start your new business venture, explore formation packages from just £12.99, plus a range of post-incorporation services and plenty of resources to guide you through life as a business owner.
