Employer Branding - The Best way to Hiring Success for Small Businesses


It is absolutely essential for the small businesses to hire right talent to grow business. Every small business owner understands the importance of getting the right person to work with him. However, very few are able to break the hiring jinx! Let's understand why.

The recruitment process involves the following steps

  1. Defining the job specification for the vacancy 
  2. Inviting applications through advertisements in portals or newspapers or through placement consultants
  3. Screening applications and shortlisting candidates
  4. Conducting interviews / evaluations to select candidate(s) for final consideration
  5. Job offer and acceptance 
  6. Joining and closing the vacancy
To get the right fit candidate (or top talent for the business), we must do the first 5 steps right. We all know this and try to do it well too. But does it still get us the right candidates? No is the more common answer. Why? Because success of the steps also depend on the response of the job seekers. 

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Questions that we must ask ourselves at this stage
  1. Are we able to attract the best fit candidates to apply? Does our company appeal to job seekers? Do people in the job market know and think good about us? Do we have the goodwill or reputation as a good Employer?   
  2. Do the applicants have a good or great experience during the various stages of recruitment? Do our processes and practices demonstrate objectivity, fairness, respect and other positive virtues?  
  3. Do the existing employees act as good brand ambassadors? Do they enjoy working with our company? If not, there are chances that negative experiences would get shared with the candidates or the outside world
  4. Do we have any processes or mechanisms to be visible or reach out effectively in the job market and share our philosophies, values, preferences, vision, achievements etc.? Do we communicate with the outside world with such intent?
All these questions converge to one final question - Do we have an Employer Brand?

Its time that small businesses understand and initiate Employer Branding activities to add more appeal to their company. This can catapult their hiring results and organisation performance to a new dimension altogether! 

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