Leverage the Downturn and Hire the Best Talent Available

Leverage the Downturn and Hire the Best Talent AvailableLeverage the Downturn and Hire the Best Talent AvailableLeverage the Downturn and Hire the Best Talent Available Chinsky MatusonWhen it comes to hiring employees, your small company can leverage the downturn to effectively onboardhigher-level candidates.Patricia Hunt Sinocole, CEO and founder of First Beacon Group LLC believes this is the ideal time to seek talent for several reasons. First, there are many strong candidates that are looking. Many candidates were holding back job-seeking efforts in late 2008 and 2009. The feeling was that at least I have a job or the known is better than the unknown. I am finally seeing some movement, states Sinocole.Denise Horan, Principal, Integrated Management Sales Consulting notes there are great people, many who are unemployed due to no fault of their own, that are seeking work. Like Sinacole, Horan thinks this is a very transitional time for many workers. If you are employed, you may be o verworked or underappreciated, states Horan. If you are unemployed due to a downsizing, you are ready and willing to work hard for someone else.Use the thema to do Spring CleaningIt is difficult to get better results from your team if your workplace includes procrastinator employeeswho are merely taking up space. Sinocole suggests asking, If you had to hire this person again, knowing what you know now, would you? This question really helps small business owners and hiring managers identify the keepers and those that are not keepers. If thats the case, be sure you know how to handle an employee termination. But sometimes, when you take the time to look around, you realize that what you have is best.Competing with the Big Guys for TalentMany small businesses find that standing out in a large sea of employers is a tall order, when it comes to attracting top talent. It doesnt have to be that way. There are a number of ways you can make your small company stand out to job candidates.Acco rding to Sinocole, there are many small companies that are not household names that have certainly created a lot of buzz in the employment marketplace. It is important for small businesses who are building their brand to treat candidates in a warm, professional and friendly manner. These impressions are lasting. Word of mouth is powerful says Sinocole.Ann Latham, President of president of Uncommon Clarity, Inc., a firm that helps clients achieve superior results faster and with greater confidence, believes the biggest disadvantage many small businesses have is an inferiority complex when it comes to attracting talent. Attracting top talent is a sales job. Why do your employees like working for you?Typical advantages that help drive employee motivation include the ability to make a difference and acquire a wide sortiment of skills and experiences quickly, greater variety and flexibility, and the potential for a rapid increase in responsibility, states Latham. This information should be imbedded in your recruitment collateral and included on your website as part of your small business marketing strategy.Horan suggests marketing yourself locally by putting out good press. Announce your successes through press releases and participate in charity events or community service to engage with potential candidates. Horan adds, Many workers admire that and may want to be part of that type of corporate culture.Connecting the Recruiting DotsReign in your recruitment strategy by starting with your own people. Good people tend to associate with other good people. Ask your star performers if they know of anyone who might be a good fit for the organization. If possible, offer a bonus for employer referrals to get your employees thinking mora earnestly about this. Use your connections in the community and dont forget to ask your vendors and clients if they know of people who might fit the bill.Organizations are really pumping up the use of social media to get the word out about job opportunities. Usesocial media platformsas part of your social media recruiting and hiringstrategy andto linkpeopleto jobs postedon Monster.Keeping your Hiring RealLatham reminds business owners to hire what they need. Terms like top talent or great talent conjure images of award-winning, Ivy-degreed innovators who sit indisputably at the extreme end of a giant talent yardstick, says Latham. It may be great for your ego to hire the overqualified candidate,but will this person still be there the moment the economy shows signs of improvement?A down economy is a great time to take stock of the talent on hand and to upgrade where necessary. Just dont wait too long, as economists are already predicting a recovery is just around the corner. 2010 Human Resource Solutions. All Rights Reserved.Author BioRoberta Chinsky Matuson is the President of Human Resource Solutionsand is the author of the forthcoming book, Suddenly in Charge Managing Up, Managing Down, Succeeding All Around, (Nich olas Brealey, January 2011) Her firm helps organizations accelerate productivity and profitability by increasing employee engagement. Sign up to receive Robertas complimentary newsletter, HR Matters.