Embracing innovation: How to hire employees for your small business

According to a Harvard Business Review survey, most business leaders are not taking advantage of the latest technology and innovations in hiring because they’re simply not aware of all their options. While increasing wages and switching to hybrid or remote work schedules can be effective, there are so many other ways to attract and retain employees.

By educating yourself and/or your human resources (HR) department on the latest tools and strategies for hiring top candidates, you can evolve your recruitment and talent acquisition—making the process more efficient in the long run.

Leveraging technology in recruiting and hiring

Optimizing your hiring process may not be at the top of your to-do list. However, small investments and tweaks now can pay major dividends for you later. For example, there are plenty of ways you can work technology into your recruitment process to make it more streamlined for both candidates and your team.

Applicant tracking system (ATS)

With an applicant tracking system (ATS), you can manage recruiting and hiring from start to finish. ATS software helps you stay organized and track candidates from application to onboarding. From a single platform, you can post job openings, review applications, screen resumes, schedule interviews, and more.

You can also put together reports that help you assess the quality of candidates, the effectiveness of your postings, and how quickly your team fills open positions.

Automation in the hiring process

Most ATS software integrates artificial intelligence (AI) to help keep candidate communication seamless and free up your internal team. Some examples of thoughtful automation and AI in recruiting include:

• Qualified candidate sourcing
• Instant, automatic responses when applications are received
• Resume reviews for experience and specific keywords
• Interview scheduling
• Predictive assessments for cultural fit
• Offer creation
• Onboarding for new hires

Virtual interviews

Virtual meeting platforms have been around for a while, connecting national and global teams. Now, having a go-to virtual meeting platform for your company is non-negotiable.

The rise of virtual conferencing tools—along with the shift to remote and hybrid work—has revolutionized the way many companies conduct candidate interviews. Instead of requiring candidates to travel to and from your office location (if your company has one), you can use video interviews as a more flexible and convenient solution.

Best practices for inclusive hiring 

One of the biggest benefits of using AI in talent acquisition is incorporating more data into the process, which in turn helps reduce bias. With that same goal in mind, there are a variety of other actions you can take to adopt more inclusive hiring practices.

5 ways to make your hiring process more inclusive

1. Define your company values

Discuss diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives internally and externally, and be transparent about your company’s commitment to hiring diverse talent. How will this help improve the team? What kind of culture are you trying to create in your organization?

Clearly identify what you stand for as a company and display the information proudly on your website. When someone applies for a job at your organization, they should be able to figure out whether your company values align with their personal values. If you’re prioritizing inclusive hiring practices, DEIB should be part of your philosophy.

2. Structure interviews thoughtfully

It can be helpful to run interview workshops with hiring managers and interviewers, so they can build out sets of questions everyone will ask candidates. Structured interview strategies like this can help interviewers stay objective and reduce biased evaluations.

You can also use your company values to create a standard set of value-based questions that every candidate encounters in an interview.

3. Use anonymizing tools

There are plenty of platforms and browser extensions that help your team anonymously evaluate candidates and their resumes. For example, some tools can remove names and faces from LinkedIn profiles, while others can remove names from resumes to combat unconscious bias.

4. Use a diverse hiring panel

If your business is working to create a more inclusive and diverse environment, it starts with the people responsible for hiring open positions. By including a diverse group in your interview panel, you can make candidates feel more comfortable and show how different perspectives can help the team make a more thoughtful and confident hiring decision.

5. Be mindful of your job descriptions

The language you use in your job descriptions can influence the types of candidates who apply. For example, some words may attract more male applicants, while other words may attract more female applicants. Try to keep your job descriptions as neutral as possible, and avoid using gendered pronouns like “he” or “she.”

How to attract top talent for your business

Now that you’ve learned ways to make your talent acquisition process more inclusive, you can take steps to attract high-quality applicants for your open roles. Here are some effective strategies for hiring top talent for your small business.

Encourage internal mobility

Give current employees the opportunity to expand their skills and transfer laterally (or upward!) within the company. Some organizations do a better job of promoting internal mobility than others, so be sure to mention it in your employee communications when new positions are open.

Source from your network

Create a referral program to encourage engaged employees to share open roles with their contacts. The leaders in your organization will also have relationships with professionals who may be a great fit for your team.

Invest in potential

Some of the best candidates won’t check every box. If your company has the right learning opportunities in place—along with leaders who inspire and mentor—you can hire people who may not have all the prerequisite skills but are excited to contribute and grow with your business.

Showcase your company culture

Once you’ve established a DEIB-focused culture, you can promote your employer brand on your website and social media. An engaged team, especially on LinkedIn and job forums, can make your company even more appealing to job seekers.

Provide sought-after benefits

Your company’s reputation will also hinge on what types of benefits you offer your employees. Most companies offer paid time off, health insurance, and 401(k) or retirement account contributions. But you can also offer benefits like hybrid or remote work, wellness and commuter stipends, or tuition reimbursement and professional development opportunities.

Highlight your mission statement

Many employees want to work somewhere that aligns with their values. Once you’ve built your mission statement and company values, highlight them on your website and weave them into your employer brand messaging on job postings. Small businesses have the advantage of feeling more personal and meaningful than large corporations.

Tailor roles to skill sets

Some roles at your organization might be flexible, which allows you to mold positions to individual candidates—in terms of responsibilities, required skill level, location, and more. This flexibility can be a huge selling point for top talent, and your ability to adapt to the best available candidates helps you optimize your operations without slowing down.

Final thoughts about reducing bias in hiring

As a small business owner, you have the unique opportunity to help minimize the bias candidates face when searching for a job. While hard skills are sometimes non-negotiable for roles, here are two qualities you can assess during your hiring process to promote inclusivity:

• Communication skills: How effectively does the candidate communicate? Are they actively working to improve their skills? Are they able to discuss past experiences where they’ve needed to communicate clearly to a multi-functional audience?

• Coachability: Is the candidate open to receiving constructive feedback? Are they able to provide constructive feedback to other team members? Regardless of level, coachability gives you an idea of how flexible someone is when it comes to learning new skills, processes, and the ins and outs of your business.