Hiring Requires a Marketing Strategy

Huh?

When we think about hiring, we consider the ideal skills and attributes needed for the position, right? Posting your job opening and hoping the right person will see it isn’t a good strategy. Hiring requires a marketing strategy.

Marketing is all about showing shoppers how you can solve their problem better than anyone else, right? Consider looking at hiring the same way. Why would someone want to work for your business? What’s in it for them? Again, your hiring strategy needs a marketing strategy.

Just like defining what’s defensively unique about your product, as an employer, what makes you different? Does your product make a positive social or environmental impact? How’s the culture? What sets you apart? Once you’re able to articulate this, it’s time to tell the story. Where?

• Social media posts targeted at potential employees (find them where they are rather than expecting them to find you where you are)
• Post a fun video of “a day in the life” with your team
• Write fun, exciting, and informative job postings rather than simply listing qualifications. 

To begin with, if the application process is frustrating, you’re setting the stage for a frustrating working environment. 

Think about the type of person who could be successful. What skills do they possess? Where are those people? To reiterate, find them where they are.

There are “requirements” and there are “nice to haves”. Be clear. If some of your stated “requirements” are really “nice to haves”, you may be missing out on great candidates who are reluctant to apply. 

Hiring your brother’s neighbor’s cousin’s friend just because they’re available and won’t break the bank is never a good idea. To emphasize, if you own and operate a cookie business and you’re exclusively looking for someone who has cookie baking and decorating experience, you may miss out on someone who’s eager to learn and is a cultural fit with your team. What skills and work styles will thrive in this role? List and prioritize both the hard and soft skills.

If you’re a start-up, hire people who know more than you and who can complement your skills. For example, if you’re passion is for creating delicious new recipes and sharing them with your customers, it’d be a good idea to hire someone with management and organizational skills. 

You’ve probably been in a place where you couldn’t offer the same pay rate that the big guys can. That doesn’t mean you can’t attract and maintain great employees. You’re thinking it’s a money problem when that’s not the full picture. On balance, today’s employees consider other aspects of a job, things like flexibility, non-monetary compensation, paid time off, meals, educational opportunities, opportunities for advancement, company culture, collaboration, etc. Today’s job seekers are looking at more than just the wages; they’re looking at the total package. As an employer, what’s your reputation?

After all, what makes your opportunity unique and attractive? Is the current team happy and invested in the success of the business? What other talented people are part of the business? Do your business values align with theirs? (hint: no amount of money compensates for a lack of alignment)

Knowing what your ideal candidate values means you can massage your opportunity to better match. Why? Because hiring requires a marketing strategy.

To illustrate, since the pandemic, hiring has been particularly difficult for food businesses. Shift your mindset from what you want and step into the shoes of a job seeker. Share your compelling story and focus on what’s important to them. In the end, I think you’ll find the right person, the right fit, more easily.

It’s been said that “hope isn’t a strategy”. Being that that’s a true statement, it’s important to remember that a strategy is a strategy.

At Crafted Kitchen, we help small food business owners go from side hustle to success story. We also rent flexible, affordable commercial kitchens in Los Angeles. Hungry for more? We have tons of free resources! Let’s chat!

Crafted Kitchen is a shared use commercial kitchen in the Arts District of Los Angeles. We offer flexible kitchen rentals to small food businesses. Rent a kitchen today!

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