Setting yourself apart as an SME: Winning top talent

Ensuring that your SME is the employer of choice can be done in a number of ways. However, top talent in the marketing sector is in high demand and professionals know it. Attracting the best available talent not only sets you apart professionally, but will attract more top talent from your competitors.

Stand out with employer branding

Building a high-skilled team can be challenging for any team-head in marketing. The top talent out there can be hard to attract as they have the pick of the bunch in terms of job offers. So, you need to appeal to the top talent that is available to your organisation. Effective employer branding is one way to do this.

The company brand is crucial when giving-off first impressions, it can help to present a clear image of who you are and what you stand for as a business. If you present your organisation clearly enough, you can expect to attract talent that matches your core values, and are able to grow and develop under your employ. As a senior manager, director or group head, you now form a part of the organisations brand; your reputation and conduct will shape your company image and you give the first impression of the company on a whole from your first meeting with the candidate.

Make sure you are aware of the activities happening on the website, as this is the first place a candidate will go to look at a potential employer and if they have any questions about your website in the interview, then you want to be able to answer them fully. Consider your presence on LinkedIn, encourage managers to share company updates to their personal connections to spread the word and increase the organisations reach online.

Marketing professionals know all too well the value of good branding. They will respond positively to companies with strong values that come through well in their branding. So, watching out to make sure all teams are aligned in your messaging will give your brand a solid tone that will be recognised and related to by people in and outside of the business.

Better your recruitment process

When you are overseeing the recruitment process ensure the candidate is made to feel wanted and valued throughout, this can make a huge difference when a candidate is considering multiple job offers, as they may be persuaded to go for the business that made them feel most inspired. This is becoming increasingly more important for SME businesses, as the smaller things will distinguish you from your competition. Considering this, here are some tips on bettering your recruitment process.

Clear job descriptions

Job descriptions are a crucial part of the recruitment process. Ensuring they have both the content and tone to attract the best fit for your business, will highlight to the potential employees what type of organisation you are and alludes to what the culture is like at your business. Make the key skills and attributes clear to the recruiter that you are working with – this will arm them with the best tools to find the most suitable candidates to put forward for interview.

Provide a company overview

When interviewing any candidate, an overview of the role and organisation should be provided. Explore with the candidate how the business is looking to grow and how they would implement change and progression in this area. Candidates will want to know what strategy you are attempting to implement, as well as talk of budget and approach in the latter interview stages.

The interview stage

All interview stages are a two-way process, make sure you are aiming to impress the candidates you are meeting with, as if they are the best candidate there is no doubt they will have had other offers. The moment the candidate meets with you and gets a feel for the initial office environment they will be assessing whether or not your company is one they would enjoy working for.

Aim to show them the best parts of your organisation and why they should want to work with you. Don’t assume that if you hold a prominent position in the market or work with high-profile clients, that a top candidate will choose your company over a lesser known brand.

If you would like any more information or to discuss how we can help with your recruitment processes, please do get in touch.