It’s an interesting question for a person who runs a small business. It’s one that as someone who runs a small business I ask myself regularly, and come up with the idea that there is no right or wrong answers, but there are different ways to look at the conundrum.

At a time like now, the pressure on small businesses is as high as it ever has been. Business leaders are looking at how they can protect their staff, how they can ensure their cash flow, how they can continue to meet their customers’ expectations. We are having to be on the ground, doing what is needed operationally and making sure we are in the best position possible as we navigate the current climate.

Despite this, we have seen the need for these small businesses hire people to complement what they have. In many cases this recruitment falls to the business leader, and they try to make it work around their other work. They put an advert up, and then the responses flow in – and now those responses are a torrent rather than a trickle.

The question though is whether that is the best use of a business leader’s time, particularly at the moment?

This increase in applications increases the amount of time required for each piece of recruitment. This is even more so if you are a small business, without a dedicated recruiter. The chances are that within the responses, there are people who can do the role, and through a process you contact those people, and then eventually chose who you want.

My question is though; what happens to those people who have applied who are not right for the role? Are you able to get back to those candidates in a timely manner to let them know that they are a no? How easy do you find it to manage those responses and to ensure your brand is represented the best way that you want it to. I know that even the most seasoned recruiter, one who values candidate experience still finds this difficult.

Now ask yourself was that the best approach to this piece of recruitment? It may also be that, suddenly, the recruitment path that you have chosen, often due to price and the fact that it is an easy process to put up an advertisement online, has become more costly than you anticipated. 

Much of the cost in recruitment is hidden. It is not black and white, and it is not easy to calculate. At the same time though, it maybe that this is the hidden cost and is more acceptable than a fee paid to a recruiter, especially given the current climate. 

Particularly for small businesses, and certain types of roles, that as a leader in a small business you can have the best of both worlds. What that looks like may differ, but potentially there is a solution there for you, that gets you the right candidate, but also allows you to manage your brand and time more effectively. 

For me there are two questions you have to ask yourself about recruitment. What is the true cost of recruitment to our business? Is our current approach the best way for us is to get the best results?