Small businesses have to be more careful than big businesses when it comes to hiring. Choosing the wrong employee can be detrimental to a small business. Unfortunately, a small business is much more likely to be affected by something like employee theft or fraud than a larger business would. Also, choosing employees who are excited about your business and your product or service is crucial.
So would a small business be better off hiring from the outside or promoting from within? It really depends on the company and your employees. Many businesses (small businesses absolutely included) will hire college students as interns. Companies are trending toward continuing the relationship with these interns even after they graduate from college.
Here are a few ideas for places to think about when you are looking to hire the right employee for your small business:
Colleges. As I mentioned above, college interns can be incredibly useful for small businesses. It’s a chance to try out an employee with very little or no cost to the business. The benefit for the student is that they get to learn about business practices and they gain college credit. These interns can go on to be invaluable employees because they already know how the company operates.
Resume websites/recruiting firms. I hate to say that websites are “old school,” but they kind of are when it comes to hiring! These are what we would consider the most traditional means of hiring. While you may have to sort through many unqualified candidates, chances are you will find someone who fits the job by choosing one of these avenues.
Friends and family. They always say, don’t mix friends or family and business. I agree with this, to an extent. But if you have a friend or family member who is extremely passionate about the type of business that you are running, it’s not a bad idea to hire them. Just make sure that you let them know from the beginning that you expect to maintain a professional relationship and you will treat them as you would any other employee.
Promoting from within. Choosing to promote employees from within can be a great thing. You don’t have to go through the process of vetting a new candidate. You already know the person’s work style and any quirks that they might have. Really the only downside to promoting from within is that you could be missing out on another candidate who has great ideas for the company.
Hiring for a small business can be tricky, especially since hiring one bad apple can ruin everyone’s morale. But once you find the right employee, it will definitely all be worth it!
What tips do you have for small business hiring?
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