Staffing
is a core and vital aspect of SME management. HRM is the lifeline of the SME. Every
other resource depends on the HR to function efficiently. A poorly functioning
or ill-qualified workforce will result in a poorly functioning and operational
SME. Businesses need to employ the services of active and efficient staff from
time to time to ensure continued viability and ROI.
For
your SME to succeed, you will need to carry out carefully planned HR functions
of the entire recruitment process. You may need to secure the services of the
HR Manager to assist in developing and executing the Recruitment and HR
Management plan. Depending on the size of the SME, this may not be necessary,
and it is usually expensive.
Recruiting for the SME
You do
not need to be an HR expert to overcome the HR recruitment problem.
SME
recruitment problem is basically sorted by conducting the following:
1. Define
Job Requirement.
Basic things to do:
a.
Create/Define the role
profile (define what role the staff is to fill: is it marketing, secretarial
etc., what the staff is to fulfill in your SME).
b.
Create a person
specification need: determine the needed qualification, experience, exposure;
define the level of attitude and personality required for the job
c.
Define the terms and
conditions for the job: working hours, work behaviours, level of risk, tools
and other corporate actions, reportage etc.
d.
Determine the attendant
reward (look at how important this role is to the SME, the level of risk involved
in carrying it out, the current reward trend in the market, etc.)
2. Where
to Source for Credible and Suitable Potential Candidates.
Before sourcing for or attracting your potential staff, make SME or
job offer very attractive enough to make people want to work with you. More
than financial rewards, people tend to work for career advancement, prestige,
self-accomplishment and value, job security and company sensitivity to staff
welfare and emotional needs; fix the work environment to make people proud to work
with you, insist on perfection and ensure to grant corresponding rewards and
recognition to deserving employee. If these and a thousand other things are in
place, then get on to:
a.
Determine where to source
for candidates: is it internally (major for already existing SMEs) or externally
for all type. Words of mouth/referral is an option here.
b.
Advertise for candidates.
i.
Consider what means is
suitable, cost effective, quick in delivery and level of credible candidate
delivery. Popular means are through radio, television, newspaper, strategic
distribution of handbills and placement of banners. The medium of advertisement
should depend on the size and location of the SME and the level and type of
result expected.
ii.
Alternatively, consider
e-recruitment (internet recruitment). This can be done through online
recruitment agencies such as jobberman.com, major social media such as
twitter.com, or through free open sourcing like putting up notices on pages on
facebook.com. Again, the level size of the SME, level of seriousness and
expected result come to bear on which medium to employ.
iii.
Outsourcing is another
medium commonly used by larger corporations like Etisalat. Here, you employ the
dedicated services of recruitment agencies to handle the entire recruitment
processes. Recruitment consultants and executive recruitment consultants (head
hunters) are listed here also.
iv.
You can employ all or key
processes above. this may be substantially expensive, but it will be effective
when especially when recruiting executives
c.
Thin the list.
When potential candidates have been contacted through advertising
means listed above, you will need to process the applications submitted and
thin the list down to the best few with qualification and experiences matching
your job offer earlier described. This can be done through softwares (Internet
recruitment softwares help sift through dozens of internet application and
retain those with matching qualifications for further screening; listing and
judging processes and procedures and other role and qualification matching
medium. The primary reason for this is to ensure you concentrate on only those
with matching qualifications.
Please remember to contact all those rejected to inform them why they
did not qualify this time.
3. Selecting the Candidates
This is a crucial process that requires
utmost concentration, involvement and a measure of commitment. This is the
final process that will turn up the best hands for the job at hand. Remember
that if done poorly, your SME will suffer for it and cost you more than the
time and money spent on this entire process. A major reason why Entrepreneurs
and SMEs employ recruitment agencies is to save time and avoid this problem,
especially when guaranteed they will be presented with the unbiased best
candidates for the job(s). From the lot left on the thinned list, candidates at
basically selected through:
a.
Interviews: Types are
one-on-one, interviewing panel and selection board). The interview is usually
conducted in phases and stages. Such as for individual interview, the stages
could be phone interview, invitation for a one-on-one, interview and finally,
job terms and reward negotiation.
b.
Assessment and test
centers
c.
Graphology (less popular
these days).
