Recruiting for scale-ups: 5 hiring strategies for SMEs from Indeed, the #1 job site worldwide

Hiring is one of the key challenges for organisations, especially for SMEs. Not only do they have to compete against enterprises which offer fat salaries and fancy perks, they are also faced against startups which offer exciting and intense growth environments. So how can SMEs take the lead in the battle for talent?

“Firstly, SMEs have to build the company brand and equally important is how the SMEs present their story in a compelling way and engage with potential employees,” says Bharat Jayaprakash, Senior Director, Indeed India.

With over 76 million people visiting career-related sites every month, it is clear that job searches have made a definitive shift to the online realm. It is vital for SMEs to also look for talent online, rather than via traditional hiring sources. But, considering that SMEs may not have a standalone HR person or recruiter, taking the first step to hire candidates online might seem challenging. Small businesses must, therefore, be where job-seekers are in order to find the right talent.

So Indeed has curated this list of the top 5 hiring strategies that will help SMEs recruit the right person for the job.

1.Be present where the best candidates are looking out for their next big opportunity

More than 250 million people each month search for jobs, post resumes, and research companies on Indeed, making it the world’s #1 job site. As a prospective employer, this is definitely one of the most compelling reasons why you should be on a job search site like Indeed. But, it’s not the only reason. Indeed also has features such as linking the search results to a specific web page for each job. This ensures that each job listing has a unique URL and helps to individually promote the jobs.

2.Get them on board your mission

It’s a fact. People don’t just apply for a job or a career, they also apply to a company, a brand or an idea. As individuals they have certain ideologies and beliefs and are most likely to work for companies that align with these. Telling a compelling story about what you company stands for, the values you abide by and the work culture, translates into competitive advantage. It will lead to a higher ratio of applicants who are passionate about the brand as opposed to those simply applying for a job, and thereby make for more effective hires.

One way of doing that is leveraging a feature like the Company Page on Indeed. The page allows companies to showcase a cohesive employer brand to the potential candidates through company information, photos, videos, compelling text, employee reviews, which offer a better understanding of the company’s mission and how the workplace culture is aligned to achieve it.

3.Drive candidate’s attention to your jobs

As a company, there are times when you will need a job position to be closed at the earliest, and cannot wait for your job posting to appear on organic searches on job search engines. Because the results are based on the relevance of search terms used and recency of job postings, chances are that you might miss out a skilled candidate just because of a keyword mismatch. “That’s why on Indeed, we enable employers to sponsor their jobs and drive maximum results,” says Bharat. “What makes this a feasible option for SMEs is that these paid listings are prominently displayed at the top and bottom of any relevant search results pages for maximum results, and their placement won’t fall with time — which results in more high-quality applicants,” he adds.

4.Not just the jobs, promote your company too

Making the job roles stand out from the rest brings proven results. But the question is, why stop there? What if you could promote your company? That’s what becoming an Indeed Featured Employer is all about. Job-seekers get to see the company highlighted next to relevant search results and a link to the Company Page making it easy for job-seekers to go straight from the search results to a resource where they can learn more about the company and its culture. Why this is a win for both the job seeker and the employer is that better-informed candidates mean higher chances of a right match for both parties.

5.Leverage solutions tailored specifically for SMEs

Indeed recently launched a new recruitment solution for small and medium businesses in India. 'Indeed for SME' aims to connect job-seekers with budding entrepreneurs and support SMEs by enabling them to post jobs on the platform and use a dedicated dashboard to track applicants, both free of cost. SMEs can also use features developed by Indeed such as ‘screener questions’ to learn more about each job seeker during the application process, and ‘in-person interview’ settings to attract the right candidates who match their specific needs.

In addition, Indeed’s client servicing teams also offer assistance to small businesses on how to post job openings, write attractive job descriptions and manage candidate applications, as well as leverage features such as Company Pages help enhance a company’s branding as an employer.

It’s time to get started. Explore Indeed and hire the perfect candidate!