Denver area-based entrepreneur Francis Donovan says one of his biggest challenges was finding a compatible team of employees to help orchestrate a national series of 5K and 10K road races for his small events company.
“We always got a lot of applicants for our jobs,” said Donovan, who sold the business two years ago and now runs Mystemic Marketing, a marketing consulting firm. “The challenge was narrowing it down to who would be the best fit because it’s such a small team. That personality fit is hugely important with a small business, probably more so than someone’s experience or skill-set.”
Donovan's story is not unique. Many small business owners are responsible for juggling dozens of tasks to keep their business afloat and may not have much time to devote to hiring. A 2018 Indeed survey found that 56 percent of small business owners said it was difficult or very difficult to find the right employees. Building a dream team by sifting through Internet listings or responses to want ads can be exhausting and ultimately fruitless. And yet, getting the right person in the job is often crucial for the success of a small business.
Check out these three ways small business owners can source and hire talent: