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For small businesses, finding and hiring good employees is an eternal struggle. Steve Millard, executive director of COSE, says at any one time, approximately one-third of the organization’s small business members are hiring. And of that one-third, another third have difficulty filling the open positions they have.
“Talent is what really drives organizations forward,” Millard says. “That’s why being able to find qualified employees is such an important part of small business growth.”
Bob Drusendahl understands why these businesses are having such trouble when it comes to hiring. The president and CEO of Pre-Check, a premier provider of comprehensive background and employment screening solutions, says it simply comes down to not having the time.
“It’s like Jim Collins says, ‘You have to get the right people in the right seats.’ Frankly, a lot of companies aren’t very good and the reason is they don’t spend a lot of time on hiring. They spend several weeks looking and then they just settle on someone. That’s going to cost them a lot of money on their bottom line because they don’t get the right person for the job.”
So, what’s the best way for these small business owners and hiring managers to make the best hire for their respective businesses? It comes down to hiring smart—or, more specifically, Smart Hire.
What is Smart Hire?
Smart Hire is a service provided by Pre-Check that adds that extra time small businesses need to make informed hiring decisions.
“We have our own applicant tracking system to source the job ads that utilizes the same technology that’s in place by Fortune 500 companies,” Drusendahl says. “But we’ve customized it to be optimal for small businesses.”
Companies that make use of the Smart Hire system are led through a simple process that yield results, Drusendahl says. “The first step is talking to the company to make sure we understand the culture of the company and can match applicants to that culture. We ask qualifying questions about the culture of the company, the skill set the company is looking for, etc. And we seek to find three or more qualified candidates for our clients.”
Pre-Check’s search process is exhaustive. The company’s team of experienced search professionals will contact schools and others organizations and individuals who might be able to provide insight on candidates.
The typical Smart Hire contract is for 60 days, though on average qualified candidates are delivered to the hiring company is about 30 days. And, if for some reason a candidate quits within 30 days of being hired, Pre-Check will reengage the search for no additional fee other than costs associated with reposting the job ad.
Pre-Check also stays hands on with its clients.
“Once we get the initial program going, we don’t just let it run for 60 days,” he says. “What we do is we come back after a week or 10 days and let the client know the response we’re getting. We also consult with our client on whether any tweaks might need to be made to the ad.”
All of this can be done on for a price that fits easily into the budget a small business has set for hiring. It’s typical for a hiring company to spend up to 30% on a candidate’s first-year salary when they engage an employment screening solution provider. The cost to use Smart Hire, however, is currently just 8% of the candidate’s first-year salary.
Proven results for clients
Stephen J. Kovatch, president of Compliance Technologies, Inc., can attest to the effectiveness of Smart Hire. For a recent hire, he says the company tried an Internet-driven service that promised screened resumes, but Compliance Technologies was actually flooded with what he described as “worthless” applications.
Compliance Technologies then began working with Smart Hire. Kovatch says he was very impressed with the service he received, which included:
- An organized job search process
- Professional and branded job postings
- Skilled resume reviews and candidate screenings
- Concise and accurate candidate recommendations
- Interview-ready candidates
- Excellent value
“As a result, I made the best hire in years and actually enjoyed the process,” Kovatch says.
Andy Lembach, the chief marketing officer for Spooner Risk Control Services, also shares his success story of working with Pre-Check.
“I wanted to take this opportunity to thank their staff for helping in my recent hiring of a sales professional,” he says. “I had been struggling for months trying to find a qualified candidate to fill a sales position at Spooner. I won't bore you with all the trials and tribulations of those fruitless searches because all of that changed when I reached out to Pre-Select Smart Hire. It was such a relief to have this hiring burden off my desk. All I had to do was answer some easy questions, and before I knew it, really good qualified applicants were sent directly to my email inbox. All I had to do was set it and forget it! My only regret was not enlisting their help sooner!”
Click here to learn more about Pre-Check and how the Smart Hire system can help your small business solve your hiring challenges.