It can be difficult to expand your team when you’re a start-up or entrepreneur. In the early stages of a business, when one small mistake could potentially end it all, hiring a new member of staff can be a risky decision to make, not to say retaining talent after that.

 

Here are some recruiting tips if you’re an entrepreneur or small business

1. What are you looking for? – before you start looking, you need to know exactly who you want and what you need them for. Start by outlining the problem you want their presence to solve, then work out the skills and experience they’ll need to have in order to fulfil that role.

2. Ask for referrals – ask friends and trusted business associates if they know anyone who might be up for the job. You’re marginally more likely to find a good match as a reference from someone you know than through a stranger!

3. Prepare them – make sure the potential candidate knows exactly what it’s like to work for a small business. Long hours, high pressure, limited resources, and non-typical work environments are just a few things they might not be used to – and may be a deal breaker for them.

4. Social media – social media isn’t just for looking at photos of your high school friend’s dinner. It’s also a great tool for sourcing candidates or advertising job positions, especially those that are looking for local candidates.

LinkedIn, in particular, is a goldmine for finding professional candidates. This platform allows you to search for candidates based on specific skills, experience, and location. Utilizing free recruitment software for agencies with LinkedIn integration can significantly streamline your hiring process. With the ability to import candidates directly from LinkedIn, you can rapidly grow your candidates' database and ensure that you're always tapping into a pool of highly qualified individuals.

5. Use a recruiter – recruiters are well practised at finding the right candidates and can, at the very least, give you some valuable advice. If you still can’t find anyone after trying the above, get in touch with one.

These tips come from the team at WorkSpott, which are revolutionising the way people work by creating co-working spaces around London perfect for business-minded people needing to work freelance or remotely. These spaces are highly functional and productive places to be.