David Friedland
Thinking that the same rules apply to small and large companies is probably the most detrimental mistake that a small business owner can make when it comes to human resources management. It creates the illusion that every organization can achieve excellent results in a short amount of time if it has a motivated team. However, HR practices can significantly differ depending on the size of the enterprise that one is dealing with.
While giant corporations can afford to hire only top-level talent, small businesses have to make do with young and inexperienced individuals. Furthermore, finding suitable candidates is challenging when the most talented people often pursue careers in world-famous corporations.
Nevertheless, small organizations have a few useful HR practices at their disposal that they can use to make the most out of this situation. Searching for people with untapped potential, hiring people who share the company’s values, and organizing training programs for employees are only a few of the procedures that every small business can benefit from. If you want to learn more, keep reading! Below, you will find a complete list of HR practices that small business owners should follow.
Use Technology to Stay on Top of Things
Thanks to the rise of a wide range of technologies, small businesses have access to smart solutions that can make human resources management easier. For example, using a paystub template and a scheduling app can significantly reduce the time needed to perform routine tasks, which means that you will have more time to focus on strategic issues, such as developing unique ways to attract customers.
Nowadays, people are interested in working for organizations that have specific values. In fact, job seekers are likely to choose an employer that shares their core beliefs over one that does not but offers higher compensation.
If you want to use the best HR practices, it is important that you are open about your company’s purpose, goals, and values. You can also utilize social media and other marketing channels to inform people about your values. For instance, you can encourage people to donate to a specific fundraising event.
Create a Digital Recruitment Strategy
Smartphones have made it easier for businesses to hire talented applicants without having to spend too much time and money. Some of the best recruitment methods worth considering are referencing platforms, such as LinkedIn and Indeed. Such platforms allow you to search for qualified candidates from the comfort of your office chair for free!
In addition to that, you can start using software as a service (Saas) solutions to screen prospective employees remotely before you even meet in person. It will help you save time and money, as well as ensure that only the best candidates get hired. Provide your recruiters with training for these new recruitment methods.
Hire People with Untapped Potential
One of the major challenges for small businesses is to hire proper staff. The majority of applicants only want to work for the largest companies, and the ones who are willing to accept the lower compensation lack experience or qualification.
However, such a situation can be turned into an advantage, as it gives you an opportunity to hire people with untapped potential. You will have to invest time and effort into training such people, but if you are successful, you will end up with a highly motivated employee who will demonstrate loyalty and gratitude towards your business!
Create an Inspiring Work Environment
Inadequate working conditions may make employees feel uninspired. An employee will not be eager to do their job well if they do not feel comfortable in their workplace or if they see that the company does not care about them. To avoid such a situation, you should always keep in mind that creating an inspiring work environment is as important as achieving high results.
For example, providing a comfortable place for employees to rest after lunch can reduce absenteeism and increase productivity, which is especially crucial for small businesses that cannot afford to hire additional staff members. Additionally, everyone working in the startup should be encouraged to contribute to building a positive work culture. Take help from diversity and inclusion training providers.
Never Stop Evaluating Employees
You might think that the first few months of employment are sufficient to assess an employee’s performance. However, your assumption is wrong. It is important to realize that every employee’s attitude to work, goals, and skill set will change significantly over time, which means that you should regularly assess each employee’s performance, provide constructive feedback, and create opportunities for development.
Offer Training Programs
Achieving high results without investing in training and improvement opportunities is nearly impossible. However, it does not mean that smaller companies should spend thousands of dollars on advanced education programs. Instead, small businesses can provide useful training sessions by offering their employees books and video tutorials that they can use on their own time to improve their skills.
Create Healthy Competition Among Employees
It may be difficult for some employees to admit that there is always room for improvement, especially if they have been in the company for a long time and feel comfortable in their position.
Creating healthy competition between team members can help them overcome this barrier and motivate them to improve their performance. To do this, consider implementing a program where the best workers would win prizes for achieving high results in the shortest amount of time.
Be Flexible and Understanding
Among the most important HR practices for small businesses, being flexible and understanding should never be underestimated. It can help you avoid unnecessary conflicts and prevent employees from leaving your company.
For example, if an employee is struggling to complete their tasks on time, it would be unfair to force them to leave the team without talking to them about it in a polite manner and giving them an opportunity to address the issue.
The Bottom Line
Typically, large companies attract talent by offering high wages and a chance to work in a prestigious environment. Most small businesses do not have such leeway, but there are still a few ways in which they can attract top performers.
Although they cannot afford to invest in advanced training programs and use innovative technology, they can still benefit from certain practices, such as hiring people with untapped potential and creating an inspiring work environment.
To sum up, small businesses should not try to implement the same HR practices as large corporations. Instead, they should use the resources they already have to their advantage and create a system that is perfectly suited to the company’s size and needs.
