Today, it’s a race for most companies to win top talent over their competitors. But don’t assume that you don’t have a chance in the battle simply because you are a smaller business with a lesser-known brand.
Here are seven key things that small companies can offer to improve talent acquisition in today’s highly competitive job market:
- Upward Career Growth
One thing that is noticed a lot at larger, well established companies is the fact that career growth can become stagnant. This is where your small business can outshine any larger corporation.
Your small business is growing and has a lot of room for expansion. This means that at some point in your near future you will be creating new positions and new departments that will need to be lead as well as new upper management positions.
In the eyes of top talent, this means they have great opportunity for fast career advancement within your business.
- The Chance to Make a Difference
In a small business, where every action can affect the company brand, profit, and performance, each employee has a chance at making a difference.
Top talent will salivate over the opportunity to do meaningful work and visually see success happen. This is much easier to see within a small business where things are always growing and changing, versus a larger corporation.
- Flexible Work Schedules
Many larger corporations are still operating on a standard 9 to 5 business day in the office. As a small business with flexibility, you have the chance to offer your employees more freedom when it comes to work schedules.
Consider offering “work from home” options a couple of days a week, remaining flexible when an employee needs time off for a dentist appointment, and even implementing work hours that encourage employees to go home once they’ve completed all of their needed tasks for the day,
- Relaxed Atmosphere
If you’re a small business, it can be easy for you to encourage a relaxed atmosphere in your office. Top talent will be attracted to an environment that does not dictate the need to spend hundreds of dollars on clothing that they will only wear during business hours.
- Open Environment
Top talent gets excited about working with others and collaborating. If you have cubical walls throughout your office, I challenge you to tear the walls down! Save any actual offices for your executive or top level management team to use when needed.
Having an office with no barriers can greatly even out the playing field among your team, encouraging more of a collaborative team atmosphere. Many larger corporations are still stuck in the staunch corporate environment of private offices and cube farms.
- Team Events
As a small business, you want to show top talent that you’re not only concerned with the bottom line. You want to show top talent that you also encourage fun and team building events.
Consider implementing seasonal team events such as cookouts, ball games, holiday parties, etc. All of these events can be done on a low budget and still be fun. With a smaller team, your employees will have the opportunity to know each team member and develop family-like relationships with your team. This is something that you will typically not find in larger corporations.
- Added Health Benefits
Maybe larger corporations can offer better medical insurance plans that are unattainable to you as a growing business. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t offer other added health benefits that many larger companies fail to think of.
Consider contacting your local gym and signing your company up for membership. Many local gyms will offer your business several membership cards (for a small fee) which you can offer up to your employees for shared use. This is something that would be very cost effective on a small budget and also something that top talent will see as an extra benefit with your company.
In addition, consider starting team walking or running clubs, sports teams, or yoga clubs. Offer up your conference room during a certain time of the day for any employees who want to practice yoga or general exercises. Schedule a time during the day for a team walking or running club to meet outside your building for some exercise.
As a small business, there are so many ways to provide extra health benefits to your employees.