Category: Outsourcing

We all feel energised as the days get longer and the sun comes out. And if you’ve ever thought about working for yourself, why not use this positivity to make it happen?

In this blog, we look at the benefits of working for yourself and what support there is to help you.

Why should you choose working for yourself?

There are loads of great reasons to set up on your own. We meet a lot of business owners and we’ve learned that each one has a specific reason that made them decide to run their own business.

Flexibility

Many business owners found that being tied down to a nine-to-five schedule just didn’t work for them. Some wanted to enjoy more time with their children (they grow up so quick!), while others had caring responsibilities for family members. Others wanted to have time for hobbies and interests – there’s more to life than work!

Values

Another big group of self-employed people are those who have a clear set of values that they didn’t feel the corporate world embodied. They love their sector, but they recognised independence would offer them more of a chance to share their skills in the way that felt right to them.

Challenge

Other people simply love a challenge! Working for yourself is full of challenges, but the knowledge that you are behind every one of your business’s achievements is exceptionally satisfying. If you’re stuck in a rut and not taking your best self to work every day, it could be time to do it differently.

Working for yourself – what do you need?
Budget

Start by working out your budget. Obviously, you will need to consider business costs – remember that even home-based businesses will need a website and hosting. You also need to work out personal expenses. Look at your monthly outgoings like mortgage repayments and car finance, and work out what you need to earn to cover them.

Business plan

Your business plan maps out what you offer and how you will grow. It’s an important document – you will need to show it to the bank if you apply for a business loan. And if you want to connect with investors or form a partnership, the other people involved will want to see it.

Registration for self-assessment

You need to register for self-assessment so you pay the right tax on the amount your business has earned.

Record keeping

Businesses need to record their income and outgoings, as well as customer and client information, and details of products and services. You might think you’ll remember but trust us, you won’t (sorry!). You will also need to provide financial records to HMRC so these need to be accurate and accessible.

Support for new businesses

Fortunately, there is loads of support out there. From online guides to writing business plans to plain English guides to registering your business, any new entrepreneur can find what they need to get started on the UK government website.

Fill your skills gaps with outsourcing

If you love the idea of starting your own business but you’re worried about financial records, tax and invoicing, you’re not alone. In our experience of supporting business owners, we’ve seen that finance is the number one area of difficulty. Not feeling confident about finance means maths (yikes!), getting to grips with invoicing software, praying you’re doing your tax return properly and having to admit you’re not actually Alan Sugar.

But it doesn’t have to be scary. The good news is that you can outsource almost anything you don’t know how to do yourself. Finance, tax and admin are some of Get Ahead’s most popular services, with our admin assistants, accountants and bookkeepers all on hand to provide what you need quickly and accurately.

Get Ahead also supports businesses with writing business plans, as well as creating websites and managing social media – all great ways to get your business out there.

If it’s time you started working for yourself, remember that Get Ahead are here to help. All our services are fully flexible and we don’t tie you into long contracts. Whether you need just a few hours’ support to get you started, or monthly help with invoice reconciliation, our virtual experts are ready to meet your needs. Check out our site to find out more, or follow us on social media.

When you outsource website development, it’s a great opportunity to tap into expertise and improve customer experience (CX). In this blog, we look at three ways you can use your website and other tech to take your CX to the next level.

1. Use analytics software to track customer activity

Reporting tools like Google Analytics and social media analytics can give you fantastic insights about your customers. Used correctly, analytics software can help you identify who is visiting your website or social media pages, how old they are and where they live. The software can also show you how they found your website. Did they look on Google, for example, or did they click on a link they saw on social media? What web pages were they interested in? What element of your content marketing appealed most to your customers?

You can use this information to strengthen your customer experience strategy. If you notice that most of your customers are coming to your website via social media channels, you might decide to focus your energy on great Instagram posts rather than SEO. Or if you see that your videos get more views than your blogs, consider sharing future information in video format.

2. Embrace automation 

It can be very easy to hide behind “tradition” and “we’ve always done it this way.” But automation can give us some great tools to improve CX. For example, creating an app to help your customers access your products or services might give them a smoother experience. An app allows them to use your services without having to make a phone call or visit your premises. It will probably speed up your processes, reduce staff costs and minimise the risk of human error. 

Booking software has revolutionised the way customers plan nights out! You can link to platforms like Eventbrite and OpenTable so your guests can make bookings quickly and smoothly from their phones.

Whatever service you offer, consider offering automation to help your customers access it. If you’re stuck, give Get Ahead a shout! Our resourceful web development experts have a wide variety of experience and might know the perfect platform for your business.

3. Use automation alongside human interactions

While automated services and AI do bring many advantages, it’s important work how much human interaction to balance it with. There is no formula for this – it depends on your business and your customers. For example, customers might not feel the need of an in-person interaction with a utility company, but might feel more welcome in a restaurant if staff take them to the table. Think about your customers and what a good experience looks like to them. If you need help pinning this down, our business development experts can help. Check out our page on customer segmentation analysis for more information. 

You can also improve customer experience by aligning automation with human interactions. For example, a common customer frustration is putting details into an automated platform or app at the beginning of a transaction and then having to repeat those details to the employee they then speak to. You can avoid this by giving your team access to the information the customers have already inputted. This will speed up the process, keep everyone informed and the interactions positive. 

Outsource website development with Get Ahead

If you think your customers deserve a better experience, our experienced web developers can help. They’ll review your website, ask pertinent questions and suggest ways to adapt it and improve CX at the same time. Explore our website services pages to find out more, or contact your local regional director. 

When you outsource business development, it’s a good idea to bring customer experience (CX) into the mix too. If you’re already familiar with the term then you’re on track for successful business development. But if it’s new to you, or it’s not something you’d considered before, now is the time for you to find out more about it so you can take your business to the next level.

In this blog, regional director Sarah Yandell explains customer experience and shares her knowledge of the 80/20 rule too.

What is customer experience?

Sarah: Customer experience, sometimes abbreviated to CX, is the whole experience that a customer has of your business. Customer service is part of it, but CX is broader. For example, standards like answering a phone call in five rings or sending communications promptly are good customer service. But customer experience covers things like how easy it was to find the phone number, and whether good FAQs removed the need for the call completely. 

The choices you make about your CX should reflect your customer base. For example, if you hear from most of your customers via social media, prompt replies to direct messages are more important for CX than manning the office phoneline. 

Why does customer experience matter?

Sarah: CX is an important part of business development. In order to grow your business, you need to ensure that every one of your customers has the best experience possible. This is because your customers are your greatest asset. They are the ones who will buy your products and services; they’re also the people who will recommend you to their wider network. If a customer has a good experience, they are more likely to buy from you again. 

I’ve run a number of businesses over the years, including heading up the Suffolk and Essex office for Get Ahead. One of the most valuable ideas I’ve picked up is the 80/20 rule, which we can apply in a variety of different situations. 

In the case of customer experience, we need to remember that 80% of our business comes from 20% of our customers. It’s important to look after all of our customers, but place our biggest focus on the top 20%. This is because the top 20% are the ones who will help our businesses to grow.

Who makes up the top 20% of customers?

Sarah: Who these customers are depends on your business. A good CRM (customer relationship management) system will usually show you who your best customers are and how much they spend with you. However, it’s important to remember that CRM is only an enabler. Your CRM system will show you who your best customers are but it’s up to you to use that information in the correct way. This will help you make any customer interaction as personal as it needs to be. 

For example, if you offer business coaching, your CRM might show you that your top 20% are employed by big organisations. Their individual coaching sessions might grow into all-day workshops for whole teams, bringing you more work. In this example, you would tailor your customer experience to meet the needs of people in the corporate world. 

Or you might run a café at a leisure centre, and note that your top 20% are parents bringing their children to after-school clubs. While a leisure centre setting suggests you’d be making money from bottled water and bananas, this is not the reality. Instead, comfy seats, good coffee and staff who like a chat will create the right experience for your best customers. 

What does CX mean for business development?

Sarah: Once you’ve identified your 20%, you can use your knowledge of them to improve CX and develop your business. You might like to think about what customers expect from your website and how they like to communicate with you. Think about what their overall goals are and how you can help them achieve them. This information will help you come up with the business development strategy that most likely to work. 

For example, networking is an important part of my own business development. I’ve seen that this is where I meet clients who end up using services from Get Ahead in a regular, ongoing way. I believe it’s because they get to meet me face to face – an important customer experience that helps us both build trust and establish a strong working relationship. 

Outsource business development to Get Ahead

If reading Sarah’s insights have got you thinking about how you could improve customer experience and develop your business, Get Ahead can help. Our experienced business development managers will delve deep into your operation, finding out what makes it tick so they can find the best way to move it forward. They might also make suggestions for how you can strengthen your CX, boosting your business at the same time.

Follow us on LinkedIn to find out more or contact your local regional director today. 

If you’re planning to outsource PR to enhance your marketing, you might be wondering, “how do I gain national press coverage?” National press coverage can really increase your visibility and it’s great for brand awareness.

In this blog, we look at how to decide if national press coverage is the best PR strategy for you, how to get the press’s attention and when to send out your press release.

Is national press coverage the right strategy?

Having your products featured in Good Housekeeping or your story told in the Financial Times both feel like big wins. If you’re looking to have everyone talking about your products, services or business journey, the national press is a great way to increase awareness of your brand.

However, before you throw all your energy at getting your business in a national publication, take time to consider whether it’s the best place for your story. Remember, if your story has a niche audience, like a new product aimed at a specific industry, national publications are unlikely to take it up.

If that’s made you decide to target your PR specifically and promote yourself within your industry, read our interview with PR expert Caroline here: PR ideas for small businesses – maximise your marketing 

And if you’re confident a national campaign is right for you, read on.

How to get the attention of the national press
Understand your lead times

Different publications have different lead times. In general:

Remember to factor these timings into your PR operation.

Forward planning is essential for magazine coverage – if you want your business to feature in a Christmas edition, you need to share your story in July.

Equally important: be ready to share your breaking story. If your business is responding to an unfolding crisis and mitigating against disaster, send your press release out immediately. This should get you the coverage your business deserves.

If you’re sharing a news story, it’s generally agreed that the best times to send out a press release are Wednesday and Thursday. There’s often a big rush at the start of the week, with journalists catching up on everything that’s happened over the weekend. Friday, on the other hand, can see offices winding down. Aim for the middle of the week instead.  

Think about readership

Not all national publications are equal. Before you start reaching out to them, think about which ones your target market reads. If you don’t know, buy a copy or check the website. For example, if you’re hoping to build awareness of your product, check whether a publication promotes luxury items or budget solutions. And if there’s a political angle to your story, target the broadsheet that will consider it good news.

Build a relationship

The first time you reach out to a publication, you might not hear anything back. Don’t take it personally – instead, think about how many communications a journalist receives every day and accept that they can’t reply to them all.

It’s also important not to be discouraged. Keep going! Send out your next press release or product sample just like you’d planned – it might get picked up next time.

If you succeed and a journalist responds to you, keep a record of it. You can connect with them on LinkedIn and start to build a professional relationship or use them as your first point of contact for that publication. Don’t just advertise – network as well.

Outsource PR to Get Ahead

PR can be a highly effective way of promoting your brand. However, it’s also complicated and time consuming, especially if you’re running a business as well. If this blog has made you think about harnessing the power of PR, our PR experts would love to help. Explore our site to find out more, or contact your local regional director today.

Did you know there are lots of great PR ideas for small businesses you can try yourself? They needn’t be expensive, difficult or time consuming, but they could make a big difference to your brand’s reputation.

In this blog, we talk to PR expert Caroline who shares some of her top PR ideas for small businesses.

Why do small businesses need PR?

Caroline: For small businesses, reputation is everything. This means that it’s really important to establish your brand and tell people why it matters. PR is the best way of doing that! Yes, your website and your advertising can tell potential customers what you have to offer, but your PR will tell your story, bring your brand to life and share it with a new, wider audience.

What PR can small businesses do themselves?

Harness the power of social media

Caroline: One of the easiest approaches is social media. You can choose between affordable outsourcing or doing it yourself. And best of all, social media accounts are free.

For effective social media PR, choose the right platform for your campaign. For example, if you’re a B2B business, your first choice should always be LinkedIn. But if, say, you’re bringing a lifestyle product to a new audience, Instagram would be the best option.

Make sure your profile is strong and says exactly what you do in language your audience understands.

Look for opportunities to share your news too. If you attend an event, achieve a milestone, appear in the press or win an award, don’t waste the opportunity – shout about it on social media!

Responding to someone else’s social media posts is also important. The more support you show, the more you’re likely to receive. Communicating with others also shows you can see the bigger picture – a great position for any brand.

Share your story

Caroline: There’s always something going on in a busy business. You might be celebrating a business birthday, gaining B-Corp status, welcoming a new employee or something else. Maybe you’ve merged with another business, or you’ve broken into a totally different market.

These developments are all worth sharing. From a warm, authentic social media post to a targeted press release, there are lots of ways to tell your story and celebrate success.

I try to maximise the effectiveness of press releases by reaching out to the right publications and websites. It’s better to make the front page of an industry-specific publication than be ignored by the Financial Times!

A strong press release should always include the “who, what, where, when and why” of your story. Try and think like a journalist and make it as easy as possible for them to get the information they need. Include some quotes they can drop into their finished article, as well as contact details in case they have any questions.

Enter for awards

Caroline: There are awards for almost every industry that recognise hard work, innovation, inclusivity and more. I’d always recommend business owners enter for awards and competitions because the resulting PR is so strong. The application might cost you time and money but you should see a good return on your investment.

It’s great to be able to post on social media that you’ve entered for a prestigious award – you can ask your community to vote for you. And if you’re shortlisted or even win, you’ve got a great piece of news to shout about. Not only does it make a great social media post, but the press might be interested too. We’re really proud of how many times Get Ahead has been featured in the business press for just this kind of achievement.

Delivering PR ideas for small businesses

If reading Caroline’s expert view on PR has made you wonder if you could be doing more to increase awareness of your brand, we’d love to hear from you. Caroline and our other PR experts can help you see your business in a newsworthy way, finding the stories and turning them into positive press. Visit our PR page to find out more, or contact your local regional director here.

Many businesses share a monthly newsletter with their client community, but we’ve seen a great engagement rate from sending out a different kind of message at Christmas. Instead of the usual combination of “hero” theme, tips and discounts, Christmas is a time to engage on a more human level.

For this blog, we talked to our digital and email marketing expert Claire about how to write a business Christmas message to strengthen your business relationships for the coming year.

What do we mean by a Christmas message?

Claire: Most monthly newsletters follow a standard format. Business owners have considered what works best for them and share a great combination of product promotion, top tips and special offers.

However, Christmas is not the time for a hard sell. It’s not really the time to talk about business either. Many businesses have their golden quarter in the run-up to Christmas…but by the time Christmas actually comes, it’s time to stop talking shop and connect on a more personal level.

What should I include in my Christmas message?

Claire: The best Christmas messages include a strong awareness of the reader, appropriate emotion and gentle humour. They’re a good opportunity to invite your clients to recognise your team members who have made a particular contribution. You can also show empathy by referring to challenges you know your clients have faced in the last year.

You can show emotion in your seasonal message with phrases like, “we’ve all found X tough this year…,” “I’m really proud of Y…,” and “Z was really exciting – such a privilege to be part of it!” Referring to your feelings will help your readers see you as a person and not just a business – this will reinforce your connection.

It’s easy for clients to overlook contributions made by individual members of your team. It’s not that they’re selfish – they just don’t know what goes on behind the scenes. But giving them some new insight has two benefits. Firstly, it shows that the service or product you offer doesn’t just magically appear – this helps your clients to understand its value. Secondly, it reinforces the fact that a real person has made something happen – a real support to the message that “people buy from people.”

Lastly, your Christmas message is the time to write about your clients and not about your business. Write about industry highs and lows, and praise your clients for how well they’ve coped with any recent storms. Thank them for supporting your business, including making referrals, being understanding in times of stress and remaining loyal.

Email marketing from Get Ahead If our blog has inspired you to write a different sort of Christmas message this year, Get Ahead are here to help. Our experienced marketing team includes content writers like Claire as well as graphic designers and email automation experts. Explore our site to find out more or follow us on LinkedIn. And if you’re ready to outsource your email marketing or any other back-office support, contact your local regional director here.

 

Social media marketing is a fantastic, low-cost solution that helps you share your message with your online community. Social media is also a great place to establish yourself as a thought leader and build your reputation through your expertise.

But what makes this complicated is that some content works better on social media than others, and it’s also important to stay-on brand.

In this blog, we look at how to flex with content while also keeping up your brand consistency.

What type of content is best for social media?

All types of content are great on social media…but you might have to adapt them. For example, sharing a whole blog as the main part of your post rarely works, because people using social media are looking for quick content rather than a long read. However, sharing the subheadings from a blog, or copying and pasting the intro paragraph, can be very successful. Both work as a teaser for the blog – you can then add the link to the whole blog if anyone wants to click through.

Similarly, you can adapt the message of your latest newsletter to share on your social channels. This helps you share the quality information that’s gone out to your mailing list with your social media community too.

If you create ebooks, you can use social media to promote your latest publication without sharing the whole thing. Remember to include a link to help people buy or download the complete ebook – don’t leave them hanging!

How do I find time to adapt my content?!

It’s often a good idea to write all your content from one idea at the same time – it can be a real time saver. If you write a blog, think about which sentence would make a strong social media post while you’ve still got the Word file open. Think too about how you can make this idea into a newsletter that will appeal to your mailing list.

All of Get Ahead’s content writers offer packages, where clients can have their blog and newsletter written from the same idea, with a suitable social media version too. This can be a great value solution that gets all the content written at the same time.

How do I maintain brand consistency if I’m changing up my content?

Editing your existing content doesn’t mean you have to compromise your brand message. If you have a strong brand that’s really embedded in what you offer, it’s almost impossible to go off-piste. That’s why it’s worth investing in your brand…but that’s another blog!

Re-read the carefully selected sentence from your blog before you post it on social media. It might be strong, but does it convey enough on its own? Consider whether it could be misinterpreted without the whole blog or ebook to give it context. Don’t be afraid to tweak it again to remove any controversy or reinforce your brand message.

Pictures can be very powerful on social media. Remember to illustrate your posts with pictures from your brand palette, accompanied by wording in the right font. If you regularly share content from your website to social media (e.g. estate agents sharing the latest properties), plan how these regular posts will look to keep up your brand consistency.

Outsource social media marketing

Our experienced social media managers love helping businesses like yours get more from Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and all the other channels. To find out more, explore our site or contact your local regional director.

 

Content writing services are an important part of any marketing strategy, particularly in the internet age. Written content is essential if search engines are going to find your website or social media pages. But did you know that it’s a great way to convert customers too?

In this blog, we talk to Charlotte, one of Get Ahead’s longest-serving copywriters, about content marketing, why it matters and how it works.

What is content marketing?

Charlotte: Content marketing is a way of showcasing your products and services so that potential customers can gain a deeper understanding of your offering.

Blogging is my personal favourite – a 500-word blog is a great way to explain what you do while also sharing more detailed insights than you can on a web page or LinkedIn post. But there are loads of different types of content marketing to choose from, including video, newsletters, social media posts, ebooks, white papers and more.

Every piece of content is an opportunity to reinforce your brand, your message and your ethos. I often think of content marketing as like having coffee with a friend. You sit down with your friend (the potential customer) and talk in a chatty, human, real-world way about what you do and why it matters. You’ll both have a laugh, maybe a cry, but most importantly, you’ll reinforce your emotional connection. This means that in future, when the potential customer needs what you offer, they’re more likely to come to you because they understand what do and feel a connection with your brand.

Why is content marketing more effective than a hard sell?

Charlotte: We all know that a hard sell rarely works. If you’ve ever been pressured into buying something, you probably know that it didn’t work out in the long term. Think of the car you sold on after a few months, or the subscription you’ll be cancelling at the earliest opportunity.

Some business owners are so averse to hard selling that they end up avoiding marketing altogether. This is a mistake, because your business won’t grow unless you market it. Instead, I always encourage my clients to consider content marketing. With content marketing, you give the customer all the information they need but the decision to buy always rests with them.

How does content marketing convert customers?

Charlotte: Content marketing converts customers because it gives the buyer the chance to make up their own mind. Through the content you create, the buyer can build up their own view of your business, products and services. They can find the answers to their questions and decide if yours is the business they want to deal with. And if it is, they can reach out to you and become part of your community of customers or clients.

Because the customer has arrived at this decision for themselves, they are more likely to develop a loyalty to your business. This means they’ll probably keep buying from you into the future and recommend you to the rest of their network. This is great news for your business and puts you on track to become a market leader.

Outsourced content writing services

If our blog has set you thinking about finding content writing services, Get Ahead can help. Charlotte and our other content experts love digging deep into clients’ businesses, finding out what makes them tick and how to communicate that in a way that resonates with the ideal customer. Check out our Resources section to see how content works in practice, or contact your local regional director for a supportive chat.

 

The much-anticipated Employment Rights Bill 2024 is being described as a “once in a generation” shake-up, protecting all workers and establishing new norms. Looking ahead, ministers hope it will improve job security, enabling more people of working age to stay in employment and contribute to the UK’s economic growth.

The Bill sets out new maternity rights, as well as an increase in statutory sick pay. Other rights will be introduced, including the right of a worker to retaliate against unfair dismissal without having to wait for a certain time period to elapse. While these could mean increased employment costs and workplace adjustments for small businesses, the overall benefits of the Bill are significant and a welcome protection for workers at all levels.

To help your business navigate the new normal and meet the requirements of the updated employment law, Get Ahead are here to help. Here are four ways we help small businesses comply with the Employment Rights Bill 2024:

  1. Outsourced HR support

You want to do right by your employees but you need to know you’re operating within the new law too. Our HR experts will review your systems, contracts and employee handbooks to ensure they are up to date and compliant. Our team can also design and deliver training to update staff and supervisors, ensuring your team understands all the implications of the new Bill.

  • Payroll outsourcing services

The new Bill means changes to sick pay and maternity pay. If this also means changes for your payroll department, Get Ahead can help. Our payroll outsourcing services means we can set up new systems to incorporate the changes, ensuring your staff on sick leave and maternity leave receive the right pay at the right time.

  • Virtual PA services to streamline your systems

Over the years, our virtual PA services have helped countless clients to save money by streamlining systems and introducing efficiencies. Through chasing outstanding invoices, cancelling unused subscriptions, introducing quicker methods or reducing working hours, our VAs have made a massive difference to businesses of all sizes. Business efficiencies could free up the budget you need to cover the increases in sick pay and maternity pay outlined in the Employment Rights Bill 2024.

  • Your virtual team in an uncertain time

If you were on the point of recruiting but the new Bill has made you think twice, Get Ahead can help. Our expert team of remote workers can deliver back-office support while you test the water. And because you’re not locked into a long contract, you can hire your own permanent staff whenever you’re ready.

Flexible back-office support from Get Ahead

At Get Ahead, we know that businesses thrive on flexibility (that’s in the new Bill too!). That’s why all our services are fully flexible and we never tie clients into long contracts. In turn, this means your workplace changes could be sorted out quickly and efficiently – the new Bill doesn’t have to be an expensive, confusing headache at all. We can provide the short-term support to help you through the transition, freeing you up to do what you do best.

Explore our site to find out more, or contact your local regional director today.

Outsource recruitment planning and you’ll find you not only save time but see better results for your business too.

Recruitment planning is an essential part of growing your business. With a strategic plan and knowledge of how you’ll implement it, you can recruit the right people for your business who’ll help you deliver on your goals.

In this blog, we take a closer look at recruitment planning, how to do it and why it matters.

What is recruitment planning and how do I do it?

Recruitment planning is the spadework you put in before you advertise a vacancy.

  1. What roles does my business need?

The first step is to work out what role or roles you need to recruit for. If you’re scaling up from working alone and taking on employees for the first time, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of recruiting a whole team at once. However, when you take time to plan the recruitment, you’ll see it all fall into place.

It’s probably easier to start with what you need your employees to do, rather than choosing job titles you think you need to fill. For example, you might want someone to do the accounts and keep on top of invoicing. If this is an area of business where you’re already comfortable, you might not need someone else to do this at management level, but you might need an admin assistant to deliver the day-to-day finance tasks.

It’s also a good idea to look at your business goals – these will help you decide what tasks you should prioritise. You might have spotted that you need to increase your sales by a certain percentage. If that’s the case, prioritising the recruitment of a strong sales team is the best way to deliver that goal.

  • What kind of person would be best for the job?

Once you’ve worked out what roles you need to fill, the next step is to think about what kind of person you’d like to have in that role. Remember that skills can be learned but personalities don’t change – think about the kind of person you want in your team and what kind of attitude is most likely to deliver the work you want.

Make sure your person specification and job description don’t have contradictions! Be realistic and remember, for example, that a motivated self-starter is unlikely to be a good team player, and vice versa. Some tasks don’t go well together, e.g. reactive jobs like PR can clash with regular responsibilities like finance and admin.

  • How do I attract the best candidates?

Another aspect of recruitment to consider is how to attract the highest calibre of applicant. Of course, salary is important, but savvy business owners also consider what values and benefits their business has that appeals to potential employees. For example, if you’re expecting to recruit someone to their first job, it might be helpful to say that there are prospects for promotion. If you want to attract someone who will stay in the role and really embed into your business, offering a long-term or permanent contract will help you appeal to candidates who are looking for job security. Depending on the role, values, ethics and your company’s B Corp status might also be worth mentioning.

  • Where should I advertise?

With the person spec and job description written, it’s now time to advertise. Think about where you might find the best candidates for the job. You might choose to headhunt on LinkedIn, or advertise on an industry-specific job board. Take time to think about how you’re going to spend your recruitment budget to be sure of having your advert seen by the most suitable candidates. For example, school-leavers might not be on LinkedIn yet, and efficient admin assistants don’t necessarily need to know your industry to work effectively. In other words, think carefully before you put your entry level jobs on LinkedIn or look for admin assistants by industry. On the other hand, leadership recruitment might involve actively reaching out to likely candidates instead of advertising in the usual way.

Why does recruitment planning matter?

The reason that all of these processes are important is that they help you attract and retain a higher calibre of applicant. This gives you a great talent pool to choose from and ultimately makes your business more successful. Best of all, if you recruit the right people for your business culture, they’ll want to stay. And the longer they stay, the better the value they give you.

Outsource recruitment planning

Outsource recruitment planning and you’ll benefit from the human resources expertise your business deserves. A well-planned recruitment process is the most likely to give you great new employees, ready, willing and able to take your business to the next level. Explore our HR outsourcing section to find out more.