This month James Vizor, Co-Founder of RULE Recruitment, was asked to give his expert advice on how startups and SMEs can recruit the perfect team. With his 13 years’ experience in the recruitment sector and countless candidates placed, no one is better positioned to offer advice on the topic. Created by Innovate UK (the UK’s innovation agency) the video is part of an ‘Essential Business Tips’ series designed to offer crucial assistance to budding entrepreneurs beginning their first steps into the world of business.

Recruiting can be a serious issue for small businesses. Not only is it expensive and time consuming but it can be devastating when done wrong. A poor hire can cause a ripple effect throughout the whole company. Here are Innovate UK’s essential tips for taking on new talent.

Be Honest About Affordability

“Growth is not just about profit; bigger budgets allow us to use skilled freelancers, increasing the quality of our output” – Graeme McGowan, Creative Partner at Jamhot.

For small businesses a full time hire is a big commitment. You need to be sure you can actually afford to take on a new member of staff. What’s your workload like? Can you actually justify the expenditure?

Hire the Skills You Need

“Make key hires that can fill skill gaps and complement existing staff to help you reach the next level” – Zac Williams, Founder and Director of GradTouch.

If your business grows quickly, it’s easy to hire new team members at speed. Take a step back and look at your company’s strengths and weaknesses. Is there anything lacking? Any skills that could take you to take you to the next level? For instance, if you’re a startup recruitment agency only making perm placements, hiring a contract consultant could leverage an additional section of the market.

Explore All Recruitment Channels

“Utilising specialist websites for your industry can give quicker access to appropriate skills” – Gary Cassey, MD of Cass Productions.

What job boards are you using to advertise your vacancies? Don’t just stick to the major sites like Indeed or Reed. Smaller, niche job boards will get your vacancy seen by a smaller number of people though these will be highly targeted candidates. This is especially important for specialist industries. Often, the smaller job boards will be cheaper.

Social recruiting is vital too. Everyone knows LinkedIn is a recruiter’s best friend. Having said this, other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will also boost your chances of finding the right talent.

Scrutinise Your Applicants

“99% of being successful is about having the right attitude. Those people can learn new skills” – James Vizor, CEO of Rule Recruitment.

Have a think about your employer brand. It’s a hot topic at the moment but there’s reason for it. Candidates are becoming more interested in how your brand is portrayed through the recruitment process. Do your best to show off your culture.

When you’ve got employer brand right, you can begin to ask whether the candidates you’re looking for are going to fit. What type of attitude do they have? Do they share your brand values?

If you’re stuck with this, look towards influencers in your field and get an idea of what they seek. For example, Sir Richard Branson explains three key attributes he looks for:

• People skills – the ability to get on with others
• Risk-taking and grit – not afraid to fail, determined to succeed
• Optimism – sees the best in their situation

Need help hiring the right team for your emerging recruitment business? We’ve got all the expertise to find a candidate who’ll fit perfectly with your culture. Get in touch today and let’s have a chat about what your business wants from a new hire.