written by Porcshe Moran Murphy for KCSourceLink.
Knowing how to attract and retain top talent is a constant challenge for many small business owners. In a competitive market, your business needs a winning strategy to stand out. If finding the right people to join your team feels like one more thing to juggle on your endless to-do list, this blog is for you. We’ve tapped into the expertise of Jennifer Spencer, a seasoned Kansas City recruiter who has helped countless businesses across the Midwest find and hire top talent through her company, The Spencer Group. Keep reading for her insights on how to:
- Show interest during the interview process and leave a lasting impression on candidates.
- Create a smooth and efficient hiring process that saves you time and stress and provides a great candidate experience.
- Build a strong company culture that attracts and retains the best employees.
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Show Interest During the Interview Process
When interviewing a candidate who is an excellent fit for your business, Jennifer says it’s important to let them know you’re interested by actively listening and staying engaged throughout the conversation. She suggests using affirming phrases such as:
- “I love that answer!”
- “Can we talk about that more?”
- “Awesome interview!”
- “Let’s have you back in!”
“You don’t need to hire them on the spot, but you shouldn’t play coy or have a poker face,” Jennifer says. “That can make the candidate think they messed up, and when you call them back, they might think you didn’t like them and that they aren’t a good fit for your business.”
Provide a Great Candidate Experience
For a successful hiring process, entrepreneurs should ensure all candidates have a positive experience from start to finish and walk away happy — even if they don’t get the job. Jennifer says being quick and responsive, developing a consistent, practical question set, and creating an efficient, streamlined hiring process can help small businesses stand out. It’s key if you want to attract and retain top talent for your Kansas City business.
“If a candidate leaves having a good experience, even if it doesn’t work out now, you will have a great talent pool to pull from in the future,” Jennifer says.
Some of Jennifer’s other recruiting and hiring tips for finding and keeping great employees include:
- Review each candidate’s resume before the interview.
- Give specific examples of what a typical day looks like.
- Share your company’s values, mission and culture.
- Describe your management and preferred communication style.
- Answer candidates’ questions as thoroughly as possible. Not answering them looks like you’re hiding something.
Build a Strong Company Culture
To attract and retain the best team members, Jennifer says entrepreneurs must build a healthy company culture that promotes transparency, connection, stability (through compensation and benefits) and career advancement and professional development opportunities.
“People often rank company culture as the reason they either want to stay with an employer or look elsewhere because they aren’t happy,” Jennifer says. “As a small business owner, it’s important to do whatever you can to relate to your employees on a human level and to make them feel safe and stable.”
Jennifer says candidates consider flexible schedules and remote work valuable in a post-COVID landscape.
“Don’t make your employees feel guilty about taking their kids to the dentist,” Jennifer says. “In situations where remote work is possible, hybrid schedules are the most successful. I suggest picking a day that everyone will come into the office at the same time and then cater breakfast or lunch to give people a chance to connect.”