If you want your business to be successful, you need to hire the best team possible. But the reality for small businesses is that it’s not always possible to spend as much on hiring as large companies.
That doesn’t mean that you have to settle when it comes to your team though. There are some things small businesses can do to attract the best possible team members while still sticking to a budget.
From hiring temporary employees to offering other incentives, making your small business appeal to potential employees can help you build a great small business team on a budget. And there are plenty of other tips and tricks you can use as well.
In fact, that was the subject of a recent Twitter chat. Ivana Taylor (@DIYMarketers) and Small Business Trends CEO Anita Campbell (@smallbiztrends) joined Robert all of Accountemps (@SmallBizHiring) discussed building a great small business team on a budget in a Twitter chat sponsored by Accountemps (@Accountemps).
View some of the highlights below.
First, the chat began with a discussion about salaries in different industries and whether or not people are seeing any changes.
Q1 Are salaries going up or staying steady? #SalaryWins chat
— Ivana Taylor (@DIYMarketers) November 2, 2016
A1: In my industry (PPC advertising) all signs point to up. #SalaryWins
— Robert Brady (@robert_brady) November 2, 2016
A1) Not sure what the stats say, but I think salaries are going up for folks with the right skills #SalaryWins
— StrategyStew (@strategystew) November 2, 2016
A1: Finance salaries expect to see a 3.7% increase in 2017. Learn more w/ our Salary Guide: https://t.co/z6VmxDDBh5 #SalaryWins pic.twitter.com/4npwuvP4JY
— Accountemps (@Accountemps) November 2, 2016
Then, chat participants talked about which positions are the most in demand when it comes to hiring today.
Q2: Which positions are hottest in demand today? #SalaryWins chat
— Ivana Taylor (@DIYMarketers) November 2, 2016
A2 IT and Digital Marketing positions are always in demand #salarywins
— Ti Roberts (@tiroberts) November 2, 2016
A2: data scientists #salarywins
— Brent Leary (@BrentLeary) November 2, 2016
A2) Positions that generate new customers, create customer experience and build on efficiencies are hot #SalaryWins
— Bizapalooza (@Bizapalooza) November 2, 2016
Hiring temporary employees can provide a lot of potential benefits to small businesses. The #SalaryWins chat covered this subject next.
Q3 What are the benefits of hiring a temporary or temp-to-hire employee? #SalaryWins
— Ivana Taylor (@DIYMarketers) November 2, 2016
A3: One benefit of hiring temporary help is not getting locked into long-term expense #SalaryWins
— Anita Campbell (@smallbiztrends) November 2, 2016
A3) Hiring temps allows you to take on more work because you can hire for specific skills #SalaryWins
— StrategyStew (@strategystew) November 2, 2016
A3: Hiring is very $$$ – hiring w/ an on-boarding project allows employer to see work quality, and employee to obtain fit #SalaryWins
— Jason Michael ???? (@_Jason_Michael) November 2, 2016
Whether you hire temporary or permanent employees, you still need to stick to a budget. So chat participants shared tips for doing just that.
Q4 How do you stay within your budget yet still get qualified people to work for your business? #SalaryWins
— Ivana Taylor (@DIYMarketers) November 2, 2016
A4 Offer perks like the ability to work from home and flex time #SalaryWins
— Small Biz Quote (@SmallBizQuote) November 2, 2016
A4: #SmallBusiness owners can recruit great talent w/ a staffing agency, saving time, money & energy: https://t.co/tiHIx3mQL0 #SalaryWins pic.twitter.com/PYZrTp7sYu
— Smallbizhiring (@Smallbizhiring) November 2, 2016
A4 Be transparent about your hiring budget up front, ask what perks someone might enjoy or that you offer #salarywins
— Cathy Larkin PR (@CathyWebSavvyPR) November 2, 2016
To attract the best employees, you also need to understand what employees are looking for in potential employers, which is what the chat covered next.
Q5: What are today’s employees looking for in an employer? #SalaryWins
— Ivana Taylor (@DIYMarketers) November 2, 2016
A5: Two way street communication? A win-win-win situation. #SalaryWins https://t.co/V8FC3f7ihR
— Martin Lindeskog (@Lyceum) November 2, 2016
A5: I believe the “You need 5 years of experience for this entry level position” mentality is fading. #SalaryWins I see more need for this: pic.twitter.com/Pn1DexqKv3
— Jason Michael ???? (@_Jason_Michael) November 2, 2016
A5 This is in flux. It may depend on the age of your employees too — Baby Boomer vs. Gen X vs. Millennial. #SalaryWins
— Shawn Hessinger (@Shawn_Hessinger) November 2, 2016
There are also some universal red flags you should look out for no matter what industry or position you’re hiring for.
Q6: What red flags should you watch out for on a resume? #SalaryWins
— Ivana Taylor (@DIYMarketers) November 2, 2016
A6: Job hopping, grammatical goofs, & #salary expectations to name a few. Learn more red flags: https://t.co/ezQIgOLWDY #SalaryWins pic.twitter.com/34uckFrKvF
— Accountemps (@Accountemps) November 2, 2016
A6: Another resume red flag: accomplishments inflated. Example: “I invented the Internet” #SalaryWins chat
— Anita Campbell (@smallbiztrends) November 2, 2016
A6, Big Red Flag Hiring, Not following application REQ specifics #SalaryWins
— MediaCollective (@MediaCollective) November 2, 2016
Salary negotiations can also be a big part of hiring the best employees on a budget. So chat participants shared their top tips.
Q7: What are some tips for a win-win salary negotiation? #SalaryWins
— Ivana Taylor (@DIYMarketers) November 2, 2016
A7: Know what you’re worth & be flexible. It’s a negotiation after all. #SalaryWins
— Robert Brady (@robert_brady) November 2, 2016
A7: Know what they can offer & show what you can give. Joining a #Startup or #SMB? Negotiate equity. Then both will benefit! #SalaryWins https://t.co/1e1sg8u6YB
— Jason Michael ???? (@_Jason_Michael) November 2, 2016
A7 when negotiating salary – keep in mind BOTH your WIIFM AND their WIIFM – what’s that “What’s In It For Me” #salarywins
— Cathy Larkin PR (@CathyWebSavvyPR) November 2, 2016
Chatters then talked about some of the things you should never say or do during those negotiations.
Q8: What are some things to NEVER say or do in a salary negotiation? #SalaryWins
— Ivana Taylor (@DIYMarketers) November 2, 2016
Don’t make demands! @DIYMarketers Q8: What are some things to NEVER say or do in a salary negotiation? #SalaryWins
— SMBTools (@smbtools) November 2, 2016
A8: Don’t do what Thomas Edison did to Nikola Tesla RT @DIYMarketers: Q8: What to NEVER say/do in a salary negotiation? #SalaryWins
— Brent Leary (@BrentLeary) November 2, 2016
A8: Never say “I’m doing this till something better comes along” LOL @DIYMarketers #SalaryWins
— Small Biz Quote (@SmallBizQuote) November 2, 2016
Of course, salaries are also important when it comes to hiring, negotiating and getting the best employees. So chat participants shared tips for setting salaries.
Q9: What factors should employers consider when setting salary? #SalaryWins
— Ivana Taylor (@DIYMarketers) November 2, 2016
A9: The dedication required, the pace of the position, and the skills required. #SalaryWins
— SMBChat (@SMBChat) November 2, 2016
A9: Consider the competitive market situation. Look at the whole picture. #SalaryWins https://t.co/m7tF4bQAye
— Martin Lindeskog (@Lyceum) November 2, 2016
A9 One trend in hiring, at tech companies, is transparency in salaries. Base salary is set & public, then experience bonuses #salarywins
— Cathy Larkin PR (@CathyWebSavvyPR) November 2, 2016
And finally, find out what chat participants had to say about responding to raise requests when your small business budget is tight.
Q10: How do you respond to an employee asking for a raise when your budget is tight? #SalaryWins
— Ivana Taylor (@DIYMarketers) November 2, 2016
A10 Offer something besides money @DIYMarketers #SalaryWins
— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) November 2, 2016
A10: Offer them a shot of catnip and maybe they’ll forget what they asked!! #SalaryWins
— Small Biz Cat (@SmallBizCat) November 2, 2016
A10: If you’re not able to match a candidate’s #salary request, expand other components of the package: https://t.co/XsDO6V9yfo #SalaryWins pic.twitter.com/GwaI6mOvs2
— Smallbizhiring (@Smallbizhiring) November 2, 2016
You can follow the Twitter chat by visiting the hashtag #SalaryWins
Recruiting talent image via Shuutterstock
It was an informative Twitter chat! Thanks for including a couple of my tweets! As a cat fan, I love the tweet by SmallBizCat! 😉