With the national unemployment rate hovering around 8 percent, it might seem like an excellent time for your small business to hire employees.
But how do you sort through your options and find that perfect fit for the job? To address your employment problems, you may think to turn to the classified section of your local newspaper or trade magazine -- but before throwing your hat into the fray, consider a few lesser-known places to advertise your job.
Temp Agency Temp agencies are especially valuable for small businesses just on the cusp of their first real hire: since there's a built-in end date to the term of employment, you won't be stuck with a full-time financial drain if it turns out you're not quite generating enough cash.
There's another bonus to hiring through a temp agency: temporarily hiring someone is a great way to assess their job performance before hiring them.
Not a great fit? No problem; they're on their way to the next gig as soon as that deadline hits, no layoffs necessary.
Recent College Graduates What Generation Z lacks in experience, they'll make up for in ambition, tech-savvy, and multitasking: all great qualities in a new employee, not to mention their desire to work for entry-level pay.
And consider this: hiring a first-time employee gives you the opportunity to "train" someone's work ethic -- rather than having to untrain bad work habits.
Interns Designing an internship program within your small business, done right, can bring you fantastic value; you don't have to pay someone, but you get all the energy and dedication of a recent college graduate employee.
In addition, hiring interns gives you a great opportunity, like temp agencies, to learn someone's work ethic before having to formally hire them.
This is your chance to scoop up the hot talent before they go work for your competitors!