Hiring the right employees can make or break your small business. With 250 applications per job opening and an average hiring time of 37 days, a structured process is key. Here's how to go from job post to hire effectively:
Plan Your Hiring Needs: Identify workload gaps, write clear job descriptions, and calculate costs (e.g., a part-time employee at $15/hour costs ~$1,344/month).
Set Up Basics: Meet legal requirements (I-9 forms, OSHA standards) and craft compelling job postings with clear titles, responsibilities, and benefits.
Find and Screen Candidates: Share job listings widely, use pre-screening questions, and score candidates consistently.
Run Interviews: Standardize questions, use scorecards, and involve team members for balanced evaluations.
Hire and Onboard: Send detailed offer letters and implement a 90-day onboarding plan to set new hires up for success.
Plan Your Hiring Needs
Before posting a job, take the time to assess your business needs and create a hiring plan. This ensures you're making informed decisions and allocating resources wisely. Start by evaluating your current workload, defining job requirements, and estimating costs.
Review Current Workload
Take a close look at your daily operations to identify where additional help is needed. Some common signs that it's time to bring someone on board include:
Frequent overtime to complete necessary tasks
Turning away new business due to capacity issues
A noticeable drop in customer service quality
Delays in completing core functions
"Every superhero needs a sidekick. And you, my dear entrepreneur friend, might realize that you can't run your business, take care of your personal needs, and have a thriving social life simultaneously without a little help."
Write Job Requirements
Draft a clear and detailed job description that outlines what you're looking for. Be specific about the role to attract the right candidates. Key elements to include:
Job Title: Use a straightforward and descriptive title (e.g., 'Sales Associate').
Primary Responsibilities: List the day-to-day tasks and larger projects the role involves.
Required Qualifications: Specify the skills, experience, and certifications needed for success.
Reporting Structure: Clarify who the role reports to and any supervisory responsibilities.
Work Environment: Describe physical demands, schedule, and location details.
Focus on the must-have qualifications to avoid overwhelming candidates with unnecessary requirements.
Calculate Hiring Costs
Before committing to a new hire, calculate all related expenses to ensure your budget can handle the long-term commitment. Here's an example of monthly costs for a part-time employee working 20 hours a week at $15 per hour:
Example (20 hrs/week @ $15/hr)
Gross Wages- $1,200
Payroll Taxes - $99
Payroll Service - $45
Total Monthly Cost - $1,344
Don't forget to include other potential costs such as:
Benefits like health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off
Recruitment expenses, including job posting fees
Equipment and workspace setup
Training and onboarding materials
It’s a good idea to consult an accountant to make sure your budget covers all employment-related expenses. Review your monthly revenue to confirm you can afford these costs while keeping your business profitable.
Set Up Hiring Basics
Lay the groundwork for hiring by ensuring legal compliance and creating a job posting that attracts qualified candidates.
Meet Legal Requirements
Start by addressing these critical legal steps:
Federal and State Registration: Register with the appropriate federal and state agencies, and report all new hires within 20 days.
Documentation Systems: Implement systems to collect and maintain required documents, including completing the I-9 form within three days of hiring.
Workplace Compliance: Follow OSHA safety standards, display mandatory labor law posters, and adhere to state-specific rules like "Ban the Box" laws and pay transparency requirements.
Once you've met these requirements, you can shift your focus to creating a strong job posting.
Write Job Posting
A clear and compelling job posting is key to attracting the right candidates. It should outline the role's expectations while showcasing what makes your company a great place to work.
Include these essential elements in your job posting:
Job Title: Use a clear, searchable title that accurately reflects the role.
Company Overview: Provide a brief description of your business, including your values and culture.
Essential Duties: Highlight the main responsibilities and expected outcomes.
Required Qualifications: List the skills and experience necessary for the role.
Compensation Range: Include a salary range to meet pay transparency laws.
Benefits: Showcase the full compensation package, including perks and benefits.
Location Details: Indicate if the role is remote, in-office, or hybrid.
When drafting the posting, aim for clarity and precision. A well-written job posting not only helps attract the right candidates but also sets clear expectations about the role. You might also include additional details like performance goals, opportunities for growth, company values, reporting structure, and work schedule flexibility.
Before publishing, have a colleague review the posting to ensure it’s clear, complete, and free of unintentional bias or discriminatory language.
Find and Screen Candidates
Once your job posting is live, the next step is to systematically search for and evaluate candidates to secure the best talent.
Share Job Listings
Create a professional, mobile-friendly careers page that highlights your company culture and lists open positions clearly.
To expand your job posting's reach:
Optimize Job Titles: Use clear, searchable titles that match what candidates are likely to search for.
Boost Visibility: Share job listings on your company's social media platforms.
Tap Employee Networks: Encourage team members to share openings within their professional circles.
Track Results: Monitor which channels attract the most qualified applicants.
Review Applications
Set up a structured evaluation process, starting with a clear profile of your ideal candidate.
Initial Screening. Use pre-screening questions to quickly narrow down candidates. Focus on:
Required qualifications and certifications
Relevant experience
Location preferences or requirements
In-Depth Resume Review. When reviewing resumes, focus on:
Specific achievements from previous roles
Career progression and growth
Relevant technical skills
Evidence of leadership and initiative
Candidate Scoring. Develop a scoring system to evaluate candidates consistently across key areas:
Experience: Relevant accomplishments and milestones
Skills: Alignment of technical and soft skills
Culture Fit: Compatibility with company values
Growth Potential: Ability to learn and develop over time
After scoring, move qualified candidates to the interview stage for further evaluation.
Run Interviews
"Go deeper than just seeing how many boxes they check off and weigh the importance of skills." - Terri Tierney Clark, CEO of Summit Leadership Advisors
Follow these best practices during interviews:
Prepare Questions: Use a standardized set of role-specific questions.
Use Scorecards: Develop rubrics to ensure consistent evaluations.
Involve the Team: Assign team members specific areas to assess during panel interviews.
Document Feedback: Record key qualifications and any concerns.
Debrief Quickly: Hold a group discussion immediately after interviews while impressions are fresh.
For panel interviews, assign clear roles to each interviewer. For example, one person can assess technical skills, another can evaluate cultural alignment, and a third can focus on leadership potential. This approach avoids redundancy and ensures a well-rounded evaluation.
Hire and Onboard
This is the final step in your hiring process, where you welcome new hires and set them up for success from day one.
Send Job Offer
Send job offers quickly to secure your chosen candidate. A well-crafted offer letter should include the following:
Company Details: Legal name, address, and contact information
Job Information: Title, employment type, and start date
Compensation: Base salary or wage and payment schedule
Benefits: Health insurance, PTO, retirement plans, etc.
Terms of Employment: Work hours, location, and reporting structure
Legal Requirements: Confidentiality agreements and background checks
When creating the offer:
Tailor it to reflect the candidate's motivations discussed during interviews.
Clearly outline the deadline for accepting the offer.
Include instructions for background checks and completing paperwork.
Have the document reviewed by legal experts to ensure compliance.
Stay in touch with the candidate throughout the acceptance process.
Once the offer is accepted, shift focus to onboarding.
Onboard Your New Hire
A structured 90-day onboarding plan can help your new hire settle into their role efficiently. After the offer is accepted, ensure the onboarding process is seamless.
Here’s what a 90-day onboarding plan might look like:
Before the First Day
Set up accounts, access, and equipment.
Prepare welcome materials and company documents.
Schedule initial training sessions.
First Week
Go over company policies and procedures.
Complete necessary employment paperwork.
Introduce the new hire to team members and key contacts.
Provide an overview of tools and systems.
30-60-90 Day Plan
Weeks 1-4: Focus on role-specific training and immediate tasks.
Weeks 5-8: Involve the hire in projects and team collaboration.
Weeks 9-12: Set performance goals and expectations.
Digital onboarding tools can simplify this process. Look for features like:
Paperless document management.
Automated task assignments for key team members.
Integration with your current HR systems.
Custom workflows tailored to specific roles.
Tracking and reporting to monitor progress.
Improve Your Hiring Process
Streamline your hiring process to attract and secure top talent more efficiently. Here’s how to refine your recruitment strategy for better results.
Measure Results
Tracking recruitment metrics can help pinpoint challenges and highlight areas to improve. The industry average is 37 days - quicker hiring reduces the risk of losing candidates.
Gather feedback through surveys to improve your approach:
Candidate Experience Survey Share this with interviewed candidates to evaluate the clarity of the application process, organization of interviews, communication, and overall impressions of your company.
New Hire Feedback After 30 and 90 days, ask new hires about the accuracy of the job description, the effectiveness of the interview process, onboarding experience, and whether the role met their expectations.
These insights can guide adjustments to your hiring strategy.
A well-organized hiring process is crucial for the success of small businesses. By adopting a structured approach, you can cut down the average time-to-hire (around 37 days) and efficiently handle the usual 250 applications per job posting. This method not only simplifies recruitment but also equips you with the right tools to make every step more manageable.
Write clear, attractive job descriptions based on your staffing needs
Use tailored application forms to screen and evaluate candidates effectively
Organize your recruitment process with flexible hiring stages
Collaborate with your team using a professional careers page
Monitor key metrics to improve your hiring strategy
Smoothly onboard and integrate new employees into your team
Start with a free account to post one job and refine your hiring approach. As your business expands, you can upgrade to plans that accommodate more job postings and offer additional features.
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No credit card required to start hiring. Receive unlimited applicants on all plans.
