Where to Find Employees

October 26, 2008 By Mary White

Now that your small business has grown the to the point where you need to add staff members, you’ll likely find that locating qualified employees who have the skills and personality traits that make them a good fit for your organization isn’t as easy as you thought it would be. In decades past, running an ad in the newspaper was considered the best way to locate people to employ. While this can still be a valid means of recruiting applicants, it certainly isn’t the only – or the most cost effective – way to find people to join your team.

3 Tips for Finding Qualified Employees

1. Contact Local Colleges and Technical Schools
Every postsecondary school has a student job placement or career services department. People who work in these departments are responsible for helping students and graduates locate employment, and their services are free to employers.

If you have a job opening that might be right for a student or recent graduate, place a call to all of the schools in your community. Ask to speak to the person in charge of helping students find employment, and share details about the opportunity you have available.

There’s a good chance that the school will post the job, announce it in classes, and contact graduates who have the qualifications you seek on your behalf. The school may even send you resumes of people who match your requirements and offer to help schedule interviews for you.

2. Professional Associations
When you are looking for someone to fulfill a particular type of job, contact the local chapter of the professional association that the type of employee you are seeking is likely to belong to. For example, if you are looking for a Human Resources manager, visit the Society for Human Resource Management website and find the chapter in your area.

Contact the chapter president and explain that you are looking to hire someone to work in an HR capacity for your organization. Ask for help spreading the word to members. There’s a good chance that you’ll be able to submit a job announcement for posting on the chapter website or to be included in its newsletter. Typically, there won’t be a charge for sharing relevant job announcements in this manner since it only benefits the members.

3. Staffing Agencies
Many small business owners are hesitant to contract with staffing agencies because of the cost. However, working with a staffing agency can actually be quite cost effective. This is especially true when you choose a 90-day temp to hire arrangement.

When you use an employment agency, the service is responsible for advertising, interviewing, drug testing, running background checks, etc. Instead of having to go through every single resume, the staffing agency will send you a few people who meet your requirements. You won’t have to spend hours and hours reviewing resumes, scheduling interviews, and dealing with applicants who aren’t qualified for the positions you have. That can be well worth the agency commission!

Posted in Human Resources