Creative recruitment for SMEs
Laura MarianiShare
ThePeopleAlchemist Edit: HR, Business and creative recruitment for SMEs
When you are an SME, budgetary and resource constraints mean you might need to be a little creative. The traditional newspaper ads at an average cost of £1,500 plus don't guarantee either quality and/or quantity. A mixed social media approach, however, can do wonders... Used properly digital channels can help small businesses reach beyond their traditional circles and tap into a more diverse talent pool. Some examples of creative recruitment for SMEs:- Google ads can be impressively cheap and very effective as long as you choose the right terms ( per click?), including location and price
- Facebook - using the company page and targeted adverts with key points of pay and job title
- LinkedIn - the usual suspect - both with advertising and keyword searches for active and passive candidates - more suited perhaps to senior roles
- Gumtree - ads go for around £ 35
- Blog posting or commenting on specialist blogs for the hard to find technical roles.
There is certainly a case that cutting through the online noise isn't the most effective route for smaller businesses. However being careful in the way adverts are phrased, you can explain that you will only contact respondents who demonstrate they can meet minimum requirements helps reduce the volume.
Nondigital methods:
- leaflets dropping ( particularly useful for people looking for local jobs, mum returning to work, carers, etc.)
- recruiting directly from classrooms - build a good relationship with the business studies teachers in local colleges
Whatever approach you follow, you will usually get out what you put in, meaning that you need to be prepared for the hard work that comes with running a recruitment campaign (without forgetting the legal requirements).
