Small businesses can and must do more to attract, recruit and retain the best talent, according to Jobs.ie General Manager Christopher Paye.
Speaking at the announcement of a new 12-month partnership with ISME, Mr Paye called on Irish SMEs to re-examine and refresh their employer brand strategies to make themselves more competitive when competing for talent against major multinationals.
Three practical measures for consideration include:
Ask yourself: what opportunities can I offer employees that are unique to my business? This might include flexible working, career progression or exposure to different elements of the business.
Remember that even unsuccessful applicants can become advocates.The smartest employers realise this opportunity and treat successful and unsuccessful applicants with respect at every stage of the recruitment journey. People talk about their experiences, particularly when recruiting locally. If an applicant is treated with respect, given feedback and timely updates, this reflects well on the business and will be communicated to future prospective hires.
Bigger is not necessarily better.Employee perks don’t have to mean a free canteen. The advantage many SMEs have over larger employers is an ability to be more agile. What perks can you offer employees that will foster loyalty and goodwill? This might be the opportunity to finish early on Fridays during the summer or providing free take-out coffee from your staff’s favourite coffee shop.
Jobs.ie takes to the road with ISME
ISME is the only independent representative association for small and medium Enterprises and currently has more than 10,500 members nationwide. This new collaboration will see Jobs.ie sponsor and contribute to nine ISME roadshows nationwide.
As part of this roadshow series, Jobs.ie General Manager Chris Paye will address attendees and share his expertise on the key recruiting and employments trends facing the Irish SME sector.
The ISME Roadshows provide businesses, with the opportunity to network and attend a series of talks and discussions on the key challenges and opportunities facing Irish SMEs in 2019 and beyond.
Comment
“Small- and medium-sized businesses today face a multitude of challenges, including staff shortages, rising commercial rents and insurance costs, and potential market, regulatory and supply chain disruption emerging from Brexit,” said Christopher Paye, General Manager at Jobs.ie.
“Obviously, we can’t solve all these challenges, but we can look to provide insight into current employment trends and guidance for SMEs on how best to address their staff recruiting and retention challenges.
“Attracting, hiring and retaining talented people is just as important to an SME as a global business. It could be argued that it’s actually more important as just one great hire can have a positive impact on a small business.
“As we all know, it was international investment in Ireland that helped us to climb out of recession in recent years, but it is home-grown businesses that hold the keys to developing a stable and prosperous economy. We must do all we can to provide small business owners and entrepreneurs with the resources and expertise they need to compete with larger corporates for the best talent, and to continue to innovate and invest across all sectors of the Irish economy.”
Neil McDonnel, Chief Executive of ISME, said: “It’s great to be working with Jobs.ie this year. While there are headwinds for Irish SMEs, we’re also closing in on full employment, and Irish businesses are still hiring. Getting the right people is absolutely central for those businesses who want to weather the challenges ahead.”
