Cyberbacker founder Craig Goodliffe sets out five strategies for recruiting the best talent to a small business: get the "3 M's" right (method, messaging and market), build a strong value proposition, add fun to the workplace, focus on self-development, and emphasize the values that matter to employees.
The five strategies
Craig Goodliffe, then Cyberbacker's CEO, set these out in Grit Daily in March 2023.
1. Understand the "3 M's". Method, messaging and market. Decide how you will reach people and how they will reach you, what you want to say to prospective employees, and where to focus. Aim to be deliberate without being so narrow that the right person never sees the role.
2. Build a strong value proposition. Start with competitive pay and benefits, then look at the bigger picture: culture, values and what makes the business stand out. The goal is a role someone would be proud to tell their friends about.
3. Add fun to the workplace. Find ways to make the job feel less like work and reduce the weight of tedious tasks, for example through gamification.
4. Focus on self-development. Help people grow beyond their duties, with resources such as personal budgeting sessions or health and fitness discussions, and act on what employees say matters to them.
5. Emphasize values that are important to employees. People want to work for a company whose values they share. Values such as relationships, growth and development, enjoyability and accountability resonate, but only when actions back them up.
Read the full article in Grit Daily.
Frequently asked questions
How can a small business attract top talent?
By getting the method, messaging and market of recruiting right, and offering a strong value proposition, a fun workplace, self-development and values employees share.
What are the 3 M's of recruiting?
Method, messaging and market: how you reach people, what you say to them, and where you focus.
Who is the CEO of Cyberbacker?
Sajag Patel is CEO today. Craig Goodliffe, who wrote this advice as CEO in 2023, founded Cyberbacker in 2018. More on Cyberbacker's leadership.