Today's cruise laboratory market it's a high-stakes game for small businesses as they compete to attract top talent. of US Chamber reports that while there are 9.5 million jobs in the US this year, there are only 6.5 million workers to fill them. With small businesses that hire over a third of all US workers, labor shortages can intensify the pressure to find and retain employees. But as small businesses look at their workforce, it's not just about filling roles; it's about meeting the needs of new and current employees to build a sustainable team dedicated to helping the business grow.

Here are some strategies small businesses should consider as they build and strengthen their teams.

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Create a hiring plan that looks a year ahead

For small businesses where time and resources are often limited, it's essential to be a few steps ahead when hiring new talent. Waiting until there is an immediate hiring need can lead to a scramble and ultimately limit revenue growth. To avoid this, map out your projected hiring needs for the coming year.

When building a hiring plan, be sure to consider the seasonality or peak periods of your business experiences, any expected attrition, anticipated growth in your business, and the desired efficiency you're hoping to achieve. This will help ensure that you have created a resource plan that will best support you in effectively running and growing your business and can give you a two to three month runway to make additional hires when they are most needed.

Go beyond hard skills when hiring

In the search for the perfect candidate, it can be easy to check off hard skills, but looking for an exact match of qualifications on paper can limit the talent pool. Soft skills like teamwork, active listening and reliability are often the components of what turns employees into partners in your business's success. They not only determine whether your team can thrive, but will also be reflected in the way your customers experience your company. During the interview process, use behavioral questions to gain insight HOW candidates think and work through complex situations. You'll find that those skills and experience will translate well to helping you with the complexities your business may face.

Access onboarding as your future depends on it

Boarding it's your chance to set strong expectations for how you want employees to contribute to and represent your business in the future. Make it worthwhile. Put the bar up. These younger employees are your change agents to help you achieve your dreams for your company. It should also provide a comprehensive roadmap that provides company and personal expectations to set everyone up for success. Providing clarity about what is required of employees and expectations for how they deliver to your team will help your employees understand what you care about, how much you care about them, and encourage them to respond with the extra effort that you and your business deserve.

Develop from a salary to total rewards

For many employees, money is not the only driver when choosing an employer. While raises and other monetary benefits go a long way, these aspects of compensation are not the be-all and end-all of employee satisfaction. Gerald Hamel, a QuickBooks customer and treasurer of Make a chess move, realized the importance of this in the midst of the “Great Recession” and decided to start offering employees more than just a salary and providing them with a benefits package that truly fits their needs. After all, workers who receive certain benefits are not likely to leave their current employer for another (only 18% plan to do so). Consider offering other benefits such as comprehensive medical insurance plans, PTO and retirement accounts to attract new employees and increase retention.

Benefits that extend beyond traditional benefits can also serve as a strong incentive for employee retention. For example, 48% of employees say that flexible work hours are one of the top three aspects they value most. Consider offering a work structure that can support employees' work-life balance through hybrid or remote work. These are often important among employees and can help small businesses stand out in today's competitive workforce environment.

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Determine the pulse rate of your employees

As a business increases its workforce, performance data it becomes essential to understand how the team is performing, how engaged team members are, and opportunities for improvement. Go beyond asking employees for their feedback. Conducting a formal, anonymous survey will help you quantify and track progress against established employee priorities, including their desire to stay, their commitment to being customer-focused every day, and their evaluation of of company operations or career development resources.

Tracking these dimensions over time will help you gauge whether your efforts to support and grow your employees are paying off. Establish shared goals for these results with your employees and ask them to be involved in developing and implementing improvements that can increase results. You will find employee engagement it is likely to increase when they have an opportunity to inform action plans, realize benefits and collectively celebrate improved outcomes.

What makes small businesses stand out in their communities is not just their product or service, but the people behind the business. In today's job market, it takes more than a classified ad to find the right people to help run a business. By embracing thoughtful hiring tactics, nurturing a culture of growth, and valuing employee feedback, small businesses can hire and retain employees who are equally invested in the success of the business.