Hiring and onboarding are high-stakes activities at small businesses. The right person can drive success, while a bad fit can have significant negative impacts.

But it’s tricky to know if you’re making the right hiring decisions, especially when recruiting isn’t your full-time job. There are many steps between identifying a hiring need and employing a fully productive team member, and each step is crucial to a successful hiring outcome. In order to help, LinkedIn has partnered with Gusto to bring you this guide to effective hiring and onboarding.

Use this post as a guide to help you make your next great hire and effectively integrate them into your team.

1. Write a clear, compelling job description

Job descriptions serve two main purposes: To communicate your role’s requirements and to encourage the most qualified candidates to apply.

Take the time to thoroughly assess your hiring needs, even if the role already exists within your organization. Your needs can change as your business — and employee skill sets — grow.

Start by answering a few questions:

• What will this person do?
• What past accomplishments should candidates possess to ensure their success in this role?
• What are three-month, six-month, and one-year goals for the role?

Then consider why someone might want to work at your company. According to LinkedIn’s Talent Drivers survey, the top three priorities for employees at smaller businesses are excellent compensation and benefits, work-life balance, and flexible work arrangements. LinkedIn’s data also finds that people who choose to work for small businesses are more likely to prioritize a collaborative company culture and a company driven by values that match their own. Highlighting what your organization has to offer in these areas can help you underscore what makes your opportunity unique.

Consolidate all of this information into a clear, compelling job description that helps you attract and engage the right candidates to your organization. Keep in mind that most job seekers scan a job post rather than study it in detail. You can help your business stand out by keeping your job description brief.

Pro tip: LinkedIn Jobs with AI-assistant can help you draft engaging job descriptions, invite passive candidates to apply for open jobs, and streamline application evaluation. Businesses that use generative AI are 45% more likely to report that they can fill open roles than businesses that did not use gen AI, yet LinkedIn research finds that only 58% of small businesses are using gen AI in their hiring process. Using the right tools can save you valuable time while helping ensure you hire the best candidate for your team.

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