Why Are New Hires Attracted to Small Businesses

I’ll let you all in on a little secret. The labor market is tight. Take a moment to let it sink in. Okay good? Let’s move along. Yes, retaining and recruiting good talent is more challenging than ever with no relief in sight in 2022. Companies once again are being forced to get creative and introspective with how they structure their recruiting, succession planning, development, and more. Unsurprisingly, the unpredictable nature of our world is forcing us to reinvent many aspects of work.

While most trends of the last year have been mostly dire for HR and talent departments, one stands out as a beacon of hope. Small businesses saw a drastic increase in applications relative to job postings in 2021! The recent LinkedIn study says that while SMB job postings fell 20% since March, applications rose 25%.

In a time where good work is hard to come by; why has this one sector seemingly defied the balance in the talent market? What are the unique aspects of Small Business culture behind this trend? How can we implement them into workplaces of all shapes and sizes?

Small Business Culture Helps Employees Feel Closer to the Company Mission

Feeling closer to the company's mission gives professionals a heightened sense of purpose. It is invaluable when employees understand how they fit into company success. This connection increases engagement through a heightened sense of belonging.

Furthermore, employees are empowered to advocate for their path to upward mobility because of their true understanding of the value they provide.

Larger companies should take notes. General transparency is a great place to start. The pandemic reminded us how important it is to keep employees in the loop with company affairs. But transparency is vital in any context.

Additionally, mentorship programs that include clear succession planning would also do wonders for employee development.

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Small Businesses Make It Easier for Employees to Reinvent Themselves

Small businesses force employees to wear multiple hats. While some professionals don’t like this, others thrive off it. Many employees hit a point in their careers where they want to change fields. Small businesses are set up to give people easier opportunities to reinvent themselves if they choose to. To many, this brings a sense of excitement and even career stability. All these things directly contribute to engagement, productivity, and resilience.

For larger workplaces, this boils down to learning and development. Are you prioritizing strategies that empower employees to grow into new career opportunities? Are we equipping them with soft skills that can help them grow as leaders and be more adaptable? How can we create systems that efficiently provide learning experiences that also respect the individual needs and goals of each professional?

Small Businesses Are Champions of Flex-Work

I have extensively debated the benefits and pitfalls of flex work . While there is debate around what the future of flex work holds, there’s no denying its popularity. Small businesses have always championed flexibility. In a more ‘all-hands-on-deck’ environment there often isn’t room for ‘semantics of traditional office structure.

This is not to say that structure and processes aren’t invaluable to company success. Rather, it simply means understanding the balance between systems and flexibility. Where do our work systems become unnecessarily redundant and burdensome to employees? Finding this balance will define the future of flex work and company culture alike in the coming years.

What do you think?

In a nutshell, the natural makeup of a small business workplace has many unique benefits to offer employees. So how can workplaces of all sizes understand and implement some of the broad themes that make small businesses unique?

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