A Practical Guide to Finding, Attracting and Hiring the Right People

Finding good employees can be one of the biggest challenges when you're growing a small business.

You advertise a vacancy.

Applications arrive.

But then you discover:

Half don't have the experience you need.

Some don't turn up for the interview.

Others interview brilliantly but disappoint once they start.

And occasionally, the person who looked perfect on paper turns out to be completely wrong for your business.

Meanwhile, you still need someone.

So the pressure builds.

And that's when business owners can make an expensive mistake:

Hiring because they urgently need somebody rather than because they've found the right person.

If you're wondering how to recruit good employees for a small business, I'd approach recruitment as a business process rather than simply placing an advert and hoping the right person applies.

Here's where to start.

Why Is Recruiting Good Employees So Difficult for Small Businesses?

Small businesses can face particular recruitment challenges.

You may be competing against larger employers offering:

• Recognisable brands.
• Larger salaries.
• Bigger benefits packages.
• Structured career paths.
• Dedicated HR departments.

You may also have fewer resources for recruitment.

But small businesses have advantages too.

You may be able to offer:

• Greater responsibility.
• More variety.
• Closer access to decision-makers.
• Faster development.
• Greater influence.
• More visible impact.
• Potential flexibility.

The challenge is communicating why a good candidate should choose your business.

The Cost of Hiring the Wrong Employee

A poor hire doesn't only cost their salary.

Consider:

• Recruitment costs.
• Advertising.
• Interview time.
• Management time.
• Training.
• Reduced productivity.
• Mistakes.
• Customer problems.
• Additional workload for colleagues.

Then, if the employee leaves or doesn't work out, you start again.

That's why recruitment shouldn't simply be about:

“How quickly can we fill this vacancy?”

The better question is:

“How do we increase the chances of hiring somebody who can succeed in this role?”

1. Don't Recruit Until You Understand What You Actually Need

Before writing a job advert, stop.

Ask:

Why are we recruiting?

Perhaps:

• The business is growing.
• Somebody has left.
• The owner has too much work.
• A skill is missing.
• Customer demand has increased.
• You're building management capacity.

Then ask:

What problem will this person solve?

That's important.

Otherwise, you can recruit a person without being clear what successful performance actually looks like.

2. Define the Outcome of the Role

Don't start with a list of tasks.

Start with the result.

For example:

Instead of:

“We need an administrator.”

ask:

“What should be different six months after we hire this person?”

Perhaps:

• Customer enquiries are handled faster.
• Invoices are issued within 24 hours.
• Administration no longer consumes the owner's time.
• Customer records are accurate.
• Scheduling runs smoothly.

Now you're recruiting around business outcomes.

3. Create a Clear Job Description

A useful job description should explain:

• Job title.
• Purpose of the role.
• Main responsibilities.
• Expected outcomes.
• Skills required.
• Experience required.
• Reporting line.
• Location.
• Working pattern.
• Salary or salary range where appropriate.

Avoid enormous lists of everything the employee might ever be asked to do.

Focus on what really matters.

Separate “Must Have” From “Nice to Have”

This can improve your recruitment significantly.

Create two lists.

Must Have

The person genuinely cannot perform the role without these.

For example:

• Required technical qualification.
• Driving licence where genuinely necessary.
• Essential software knowledge.
• Relevant professional registration.

Nice to Have

Useful, but trainable.

For example:

• Experience with your particular CRM.
• Knowledge of your industry.
• Specific software.

If you make every preference essential, you can unnecessarily reduce your candidate pool.

4. Define What a Good Employee Looks Like

Qualifications aren't enough.

Think about behaviours too.

For example, perhaps you need someone who:

• Takes responsibility.
• Communicates well.
• Solves problems.
• Is reliable.
• Learns quickly.
• Works independently.
• Deals well with customers.

But don't stop at words such as:

“Proactive.”

Define what that means.

For example:

“When a routine problem occurs, they investigate it and propose a solution rather than immediately passing it to the owner.”

That's much easier to assess.

5. Decide What You Can Train

One of the biggest recruitment questions is:

Do they need to arrive knowing everything?

Sometimes yes.

A highly technical role may require substantial existing knowledge.

But in other roles, you may be better recruiting for:

Ability + Attitude + Learning capability

and training some of the specifics.

Ask:

“Which skills genuinely need to exist on day one?”

and:

“Which could we reasonably teach?”

This can significantly widen your recruitment options.

6. Work Out Why Someone Should Want the Job

You're assessing the candidate.

But they're assessing you too.

Ask:

“Why would a good person choose us?”

Your answer might include:

• Responsibility.
• Development.
• Variety.
• Flexibility.
• Culture.
• Training.
• Progression.
• Interesting customers.
• Greater influence.
• Direct access to business owners.

Don't make things up.

Find the genuine advantages of working for your business.

7. Write a Better Job Advert

A job description and job advert aren't the same thing.

The job description describes the role.

The advert needs to attract suitable candidates.

A useful advert should quickly explain:

Who You Are

What does your company do?

The Opportunity

Why does the role exist?

What They'll Do

What are the key responsibilities?

What Success Looks Like

What will they be expected to achieve?

What You Need

Which skills and experience genuinely matter?

What You Offer

Why might someone want to join?

Practical Details

Location, hours, working arrangements and relevant remuneration information.

Make it easy for the right person to recognise:

“This could be a good role for me.”

Stop Writing Generic Job Adverts

Avoid filling your advert with phrases like:

“Exciting opportunity.”

“Dynamic individual.”

“Fast-paced environment.”

“Competitive salary.”

What do those actually tell the candidate?

Be specific.

Instead of:

“Great opportunity for progression.”

say what progression could realistically look like.

Instead of:

“Varied role.”

explain what they'll actually do.

Specificity helps candidates self-select.

Be Honest About the Role

Don't oversell it.

If the job involves:

• Early starts.
• Physical work.
• Travel.
• Targets.
• Difficult customers.
• Weekend work.

say so where relevant.

The goal isn't simply to persuade someone to accept.

You want somebody who understands the reality and still wants the job.

A candidate leaving after six weeks because:

“This isn't what I expected”

helps nobody.

8. Advertise in the Right Places

Don't automatically put every vacancy in the same place.

Ask:

“Where are the people we want likely to look?”

Depending on the role, possibilities may include:

• General job boards.
• Specialist industry job boards.
• LinkedIn.
• Your website.
• Social media.
• Local networks.
• Industry groups.
• Professional associations.
• Recruitment agencies.
• Colleges or training providers.

Different roles may require different recruitment channels.

9. Ask Your Network

Small businesses can often benefit from relationships.

Tell:

• Customers.
• Suppliers.
• Networking contacts.
• Professional contacts.

that you're recruiting where appropriate.

Be specific.

Don't say:

“We're looking for someone good.”

Explain:

“We're looking for an experienced X with Y skills who wants Z type of opportunity.”

Specific requests are easier for people to act on.

10. Introduce Employee Referrals

Your employees may know good people.

Consider creating a structured referral process.

For example:

“We're recruiting for X. Here's the role, salary range and skills we're looking for.”

If you offer a referral reward, think carefully about when it's paid.

For example, part might become payable only after the new employee has remained for an agreed period, subject to appropriate terms.

The important point is:

Don't assume employees know who you're trying to recruit. Tell them.

11. Don't Recruit Only When You're Desperate

This is particularly important for businesses that repeatedly struggle to recruit.

If you know you'll need:

• Engineers.
• Tradespeople.
• Salespeople.
• Technicians.
• Managers.

throughout the year, keep building relationships with potential candidates.

Recruitment can become an ongoing activity rather than:

Employee leaves → Panic → Advert → Hire quickly

Think of it as building a talent pipeline.

12. Improve Your Careers Page

If candidates research your company, what will they find?

A simple recruitment or careers page could explain:

• Who you are.
• What you do.
• What it's like to work with you.
• Opportunities.
• Development.
• Current vacancies.
• How to express interest.

This can also help candidates who discover your company outside a job board.

13. Screen Applications Against Clear Criteria

Don't simply think:

“I like this CV.”

Create criteria.

For example:

RequirementEssential?Candidate EvidenceRelevant experienceYes

Required qualificationYes

Customer communicationYes

Industry experienceNo

CRM knowledgeNo

Now you're assessing candidates more consistently.

Don't Automatically Reject Unusual Candidates

Someone may have worked in a different industry but possess highly transferable skills.

For example:

A strong:

• Salesperson.
• Manager.
• Administrator.
• Customer service professional.

may be able to learn your industry.

Ask:

“What is difficult to teach?”

Sometimes industry knowledge is easier to teach than:

• Reliability.
• Communication.
• Commercial judgement.
• Problem solving.

14. Use a Short Initial Screening Call

Before committing to a full interview, a short screening conversation can save time.

You might establish:

• Why they're interested.
• Relevant experience.
• Availability.
• Salary expectations.
• Location/travel requirements.
• Important role requirements.

This can prevent both sides wasting an hour on an obviously unsuitable match.

15. Prepare Your Interview Questions

Don't improvise the whole interview.

Create questions linked to the role.

For example:

Responsibility

“Tell me about a time you took ownership of a problem that wasn't straightforward.”

Problem Solving

“Tell me about a problem at work where you had to decide what to do without immediately asking your manager.”

Customer Service

“Tell me about a difficult customer situation and how you handled it.”

Reliability

“Give me an example of a time you had several deadlines competing for your attention.”

Improvement

“Tell me about a process you improved in a previous role.”

Ask for examples rather than hypothetical claims.

Ask Behavioural Questions

Instead of:

“Are you good at solving problems?”

Most candidates will say:

“Yes.”

Ask:

“Tell me about the last significant problem you solved at work. What happened, what did you do and what was the outcome?”

Past examples can give you more useful evidence than self-description alone.

Use Follow-Up Questions

Candidate:

“I increased sales by 30%.”

Ask:

“What specifically did you do?”

Then:

“What part were you personally responsible for?”

Then:

“How was the 30% measured?”

This helps distinguish between:

The team's achievement

and:

The candidate's actual contribution.

16. Let the Candidate Ask Questions

Their questions can tell you something too.

Are they interested in:

• Expectations?
• Customers?
• Development?
• Team?
• Performance?
• Responsibilities?

Or do they appear unclear about the role even after you've explained it?

Don't judge someone purely on the questions they ask.

But treat the interview as a two-way conversation.

17. Consider a Practical Assessment

For some roles, seeing someone perform a relevant task can be more useful than another 30 minutes of interview questions.

Depending on the role and what is appropriate, this might involve:

• Reviewing a fictional customer scenario.
• Writing a sample email.
• Analysing a sales opportunity.
• Explaining how they would prioritise several tasks.
• Demonstrating a relevant technical skill.

Make assessments relevant and proportionate to the job.

Don't ask candidates to perform substantial unpaid productive work for your business.

18. Score Candidates Consistently

After each interview, score candidates against the same job-related criteria.

For example:

AreaScore 1–5Relevant skills

Experience

Communication

Problem solving

Responsibility

Role-specific criteria

Add notes explaining the evidence.

This reduces the risk of hiring someone simply because:

“I liked them.”

Liking somebody isn't the same as knowing they can do the job.

Beware of the “Like Me” Bias

Owners sometimes favour candidates who:

• Think like them.
• Talk like them.
• Have similar backgrounds.
• Share similar interests.

Ask:

“Am I choosing this person because they're best suited to the role, or because I personally connected with them?”

Recruit against job-related criteria.

You don't need another version of yourself.

19. Check References and Appropriate Evidence

Where appropriate for the role and consistent with applicable requirements, verify relevant information.

This might include:

• Employment references.
• Qualifications.
• Professional registrations.
• Right-to-work requirements.
• Role-appropriate checks.

What checks are necessary depends on the role.

For employment compliance, contracts, right-to-work checks, data handling and role-specific screening requirements, obtain appropriate current HR or legal guidance.

20. Don't Ignore Warning Signs Because You're Desperate

This is difficult.

You've been recruiting for eight weeks.

You're exhausted.

The team needs help.

Then a candidate appears who's:

“Probably good enough.”

Be careful.

Ask:

“If we weren't desperate, would I still hire this person?”

If the answer is no, desperation may be making the decision.

A vacancy is painful.

A poor hire can be more painful.

Recruitment Speed Still Matters

That doesn't mean making the process unnecessarily slow.

Good candidates may have other opportunities.

Create a recruitment process that is:

Thorough enough to make a good decision

but:

Fast enough not to lose strong candidates unnecessarily.

Decide your stages in advance.

For example:

Application

↓

Screening Call

↓

Interview

↓

Practical Assessment

↓

Final Conversation

↓

Checks

↓

Offer

Avoid adding unnecessary stages simply because larger companies do.

21. Sell the Opportunity During the Interview

You're not only assessing.

You're recruiting.

Explain honestly:

• Why the role exists.
• Where the business is going.
• What responsibility they'll have.
• What they'll learn.
• What opportunities may exist.
• What the challenges are.

A good candidate may have several options.

Give them genuine reasons to choose you.

22. Make a Clear Offer

Once you've chosen your preferred candidate, communicate clearly.

Cover the relevant:

• Role.
• Salary.
• Working arrangements.
• Start date.
• Conditions.
• Next steps.

Then complete appropriate employment documentation and checks.

Don't allow unnecessary delays between:

“We want this person”

and:

“We've made the offer.”

Recruitment Doesn't End When They Accept

This is crucial.

You've spent:

• Money.
• Time.
• Interviews.
• Management effort.

The candidate accepts.

Then you send:

“Great. See you Monday.”

That's a missed opportunity.

The period between acceptance and starting can matter.

Maintain appropriate communication.

Make sure they know:

• Start arrangements.
• Who they'll meet.
• What to bring.
• What their first day looks like.

Create a professional experience before day one.

23. Build a Proper Employee Onboarding Process

Recruitment and onboarding should connect.

A new employee should quickly understand:

• Their role.
• Responsibilities.
• Performance standards.
• Systems.
• Processes.
• Team.
• Customers.
• Priorities.
• How success will be measured.

Don't expect someone to become productive simply because you've hired them.

Good recruitment finds potential.

Good onboarding helps convert that potential into performance.

Create a 30, 60 and 90-Day Plan

Before the employee starts, decide what you want them to achieve.

First 30 Days

Learn

• Business.
• Role.
• Systems.
• Processes.
• Customers.

60 Days

Perform

• Begin taking responsibility.
• Deliver core activities.
• Identify training gaps.

90 Days

Own

• Demonstrate expected capability.
• Achieve agreed standards.
• Operate with increasing independence.

The exact milestones will depend on the role.

Measure Recruitment Success

Don't only measure:

“Did we fill the vacancy?”

Look at:

Time to Hire

How long did recruitment take?

Source

Where did the successful candidate come from?

Retention

Are new employees staying?

Performance

Are they meeting expectations?

Recruitment Cost

What did it cost?

Over time, you can identify which recruitment channels and approaches produce stronger employees.

Track Why New Employees Leave

If new employees repeatedly leave within:

Three months

Six months

Twelve months

investigate.

Possible issues might include:

• Poor job fit.
• Misleading recruitment.
• Weak onboarding.
• Poor management.
• Insufficient training.
• Pay.
• Working conditions.
• Better opportunities.

Don't simply conclude:

“Nobody wants to work anymore.”

Look for patterns you can influence.

Recruit for the Business You're Building

This is particularly important for growing SMEs.

Don't only ask:

“Can this person do today's job?”

Also consider:

“Could this person grow with the role?”

If you're planning significant growth, you may need employees who can develop into:

• Supervisors.
• Managers.
• Account managers.
• Team leaders.

Think ahead.

Your First Management Hire Is Particularly Important

Owners often reach a stage where they need someone to take operational responsibility.

Don't simply promote the longest-serving employee.

Ask whether they can:

• Manage people.
• Hold others accountable.
• Delegate.
• Plan.
• Communicate.
• Make decisions.
• Solve problems.

The best technician isn't automatically the best manager.

Management is a different skill set.

Don't Recruit People to Fix Broken Processes

Suppose your administration is chaotic.

Your immediate solution might be:

“We need another administrator.”

But first ask:

“Is the problem genuinely capacity, or are our processes inefficient?”

If the system is broken, adding another person may simply add another person to a broken system.

Consider:

Eliminate

↓

Simplify

↓

Systemise

↓

Automate

↓

Then recruit where capacity is genuinely needed.

Recruit to Remove Owner Dependency

This is particularly relevant for small businesses.

Ask:

“What am I currently doing that someone else should eventually own?”

Perhaps:

• Sales administration.
• Scheduling.
• Customer service.
• Operations.
• Finance administration.
• Team management.

A good recruitment decision shouldn't simply add another pair of hands.

It can help redesign the owner's role.

Create an Ideal Candidate Scorecard

Before advertising, build a simple scorecard.

Role

Operations Manager

Outcomes

• Jobs delivered on time.
• Team appropriately scheduled.
• Customer problems resolved.
• Owner removed from daily operational decisions.

Essential Skills

• Team management.
• Planning.
• Customer communication.
• Problem solving.

Behaviour

• Ownership.
• Reliability.
• Calm under pressure.
• Commercial judgement.

Measures

• On-time completion.
• Customer issues.
• Rework.
• Productivity.

Now your entire recruitment process can assess against the same definition of success.

Where Can AI Help With Recruitment?

AI can potentially help with administrative parts of recruitment, including:

• Drafting job descriptions.
• Drafting job adverts.
• Creating interview questions.
• Creating onboarding plans.
• Structuring interview notes.
• Creating training materials.

But recruitment decisions involve people and can carry legal and fairness implications.

AI outputs should be reviewed carefully, and employers should ensure their recruitment practices comply with applicable employment, equality and data-protection requirements.

Don't outsource your hiring judgement to an algorithm.

Recruitment and Employee Retention Are Connected

There's little value in becoming brilliant at recruitment if good employees continually leave.

Think about the whole employee journey:

Attract

↓

Recruit

↓

Onboard

↓

Train

↓

Manage

↓

Motivate

↓

Develop

↓

Retain

Each stage affects the next.

A 30-Day Small Business Recruitment Plan

If you need to recruit, here's a simple structure.

Week 1 – Define

Create:

• Role outcome.
• Responsibilities.
• Candidate criteria.
• Salary/range.
• Candidate proposition.

Week 2 – Attract

Create the advert.

Use appropriate:

• Job boards.
• Networks.
• Referrals.
• Social channels.

Week 3 – Assess

Use:

• Screening.
• Structured interviews.
• Relevant assessment.
• Consistent scorecard.

Week 4 – Decide

Complete appropriate checks.

Make the offer.

Prepare onboarding.

The exact timescale will vary depending on the role and candidate market, but the process remains useful.

Ten Questions to Ask Before Hiring Someone

Before making the offer, ask:

1. What problem are we hiring them to solve?

2. What results will they be responsible for?

3. Have they demonstrated the essential skills?

4. What evidence supports our assessment?

5. What will we need to train?

6. Do they understand the reality of the role?

7. Have we assessed them against consistent criteria?

8. Are we hiring because they're right or because we're desperate?

9. What does their first 90 days look like?

10. What will make them want to stay?

If you can't answer those questions, don't rush the decision.

How to Recruit Good Employees When Nobody Good Is Applying

If applications are consistently poor, don't immediately conclude:

“There are no good people available.”

Review the entire proposition.

Ask:

Is the salary realistic?

Is the advert appealing to the right person?

Are we advertising in the right places?

Are our requirements unnecessarily restrictive?

Is the location a problem?

Are the working arrangements attractive?

Does our reputation help or hurt us?

Are we explaining why someone should choose us?

Sometimes a recruitment problem begins before anybody applies.

Build a Reputation as a Good Employer

Good recruitment becomes easier when people have heard positive things about your business.

Your reputation can be influenced by:

• How employees are treated.
• Management.
• Development.
• Customer reputation.
• Online reviews.
• Word of mouth.
• How candidates are treated during recruitment.

Remember:

Unsuccessful candidates talk too.

Treat people professionally throughout the process.

Don't Ghost Candidates

If someone has invested meaningful time interviewing with you, communicate the outcome appropriately.

You may not be able to provide extensive individual feedback to everyone.

But professional communication matters.

Today's unsuccessful candidate could be:

Tomorrow's ideal candidate.

Or:

A future customer.

The Best Recruitment Strategy Is Not Needing to Start From Zero

Build relationships before the vacancy exists.

Create:

• Employee referral networks.
• Industry contacts.
• College relationships.
• Recruitment contacts.
• Careers pages.
• Talent pipelines.

Then when you need somebody, you're not necessarily starting with:

“Does anybody know anyone?”

Recruitment Should Become a System

The ultimate goal is to move away from reactive hiring.

Create a repeatable process:

Need identified

↓

Role defined

↓

Candidate profile

↓

Advert

↓

Sourcing

↓

Screening

↓

Interview

↓

Assessment

↓

Checks

↓

Offer

↓

Onboarding

↓

30/60/90-Day Review

Now recruitment becomes a business system rather than an emergency.

Want to Recruit Better Employees for Your Small Business?

I'm Kim Wheatley, a business coach and mentor helping SME business owners across Essex and the UK.

I work with established SME owners who are growing and reaching the stage where finding, managing and retaining good employees is becoming critical to the next stage of their business.

We can work on areas including:

• Recruitment strategy.
• Roles and responsibilities.
• Employee onboarding.
• Management.
• Leadership.
• Delegation.
• Accountability.
• Employee motivation.
• Staff retention.
• Systems and processes.
• Business growth.

The objective isn't simply to generate more applications.

It's to create a recruitment process that gives you a better chance of attracting the right people, making better hiring decisions and developing employees who contribute to the growth of the business.

Book Your Free Business Growth Accelerator Meeting

If you're struggling to find good employees, repeatedly hiring the wrong people or spending too much time dealing with recruitment, let's look at what's happening.

During a Free Business Growth Accelerator Meeting, we can discuss:

• Your current team.
• Recruitment challenges.
• The roles you need.
• Your candidate proposition.
• Interviewing.
• Onboarding.
• Employee retention.
• Management.
• Business growth.

Then we can identify practical changes that could strengthen your recruitment process and help you build a better team.

Book your Free Business Growth Accelerator Meeting today.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I recruit good employees for a small business?

Start by clearly defining the role, required outcomes and essential candidate criteria. Create an attractive but accurate job advert, use appropriate recruitment channels, assess candidates consistently and have a structured onboarding plan ready before they start.

Where can a small business find good employees?

Depending on the role, options may include general and specialist job boards, professional networks, employee referrals, LinkedIn, your website, recruitment agencies, industry groups and education or training providers.

Why am I struggling to recruit good employees?

Possible reasons include unrealistic candidate requirements, pay, location, working arrangements, the job advert, recruitment channels or the overall employee proposition. Review the complete recruitment process rather than assuming good candidates don't exist.

How do I attract better-quality candidates?

Clearly explain the role, expectations, remuneration where appropriate, development opportunities and genuine advantages of working for your business. Advertise where suitable candidates are likely to look and make applying straightforward.

Should I hire for attitude or experience?

It depends on the role. Some jobs require technical skills, qualifications or experience from day one, while other skills can be taught. Define what is genuinely essential and what your business can realistically train.

What interview questions should I ask?

Ask questions linked directly to the role and request specific examples of previous behaviour. Questions about problem solving, responsibility, customer service, deadlines and relevant technical skills can provide more evidence than generic questions.

How do I know if someone will be a good employee?

No recruitment process can guarantee future performance. You can improve your decision by defining success clearly, assessing candidates consistently, gathering relevant evidence and using appropriate checks rather than relying solely on instinct.

Should I use a recruitment agency?

A recruitment agency can be useful where roles are difficult to fill, specialist expertise is required or management time is limited. Compare the likely cost with other recruitment options and understand the agency's terms before proceeding.

How important is employee onboarding?

Very. Recruitment gets somebody through the door; onboarding helps them understand their role, responsibilities, standards, systems and expectations. A structured first 30, 60 and 90 days can help a new employee become productive more effectively.

Can a business coach help with recruitment?

Business coaching can help an owner clarify organisational needs, roles, responsibilities, recruitment processes, management structures and onboarding. Specialist employment-law, HR or compliance questions should be handled with appropriately qualified professional support.