Business is booming all over the UK. In cities such as London and Manchester, companies of all industries are setting up shop whether they’re new to the scene or branching out. But it’s not all about big-city living. Contributor DBI Furniture Solutions. 

What do you do if you’re based off the grid but want to attract the same talent as the big boys? Here’s the lowdown on boosting your recruitment and attracting those hot shots from Don’t worry, office furniture suppliers DBI Furniture Solutions.

Substitute salary with perks
In order to attract people to any job, you’re going to have to offer them something that no one else can. If you’re a start-up or a small business, then you might struggle to offer them a larger salary, but don’t get disheartened. Did you know that 80% of people would actually prefer to have additional benefits rather than a pay rise? Use that to your advantage!

No matter what industry you work in, there’s always something you can offer to help entice people your way. Here are some of the most popular benefits out there…

Extra holidays – could you go one step further and offer unlimited holidays?

• Work from home options
• Childcare help
• Free gym memberships
• Free fitness classes
• Free snacks
• Free drinks
• Free parking (this is a surprisingly important one!)
• Company retreats
• Team bonding days

If none of these do the trick, why not ask your existing staff members and even those you’re interviewing what it would take to get them on board?

Go big on company culture
Company culture and perks go hand-in-hand, but they aren’t the same thing. Office culture has become one of the most important factors to young people who are jumping from job to job, so don’t underestimate it! You don’t have to install sleep pods or a slide in the reception area – although they sound amazing – but we’d recommend making the vibe in your office a top priority.

As a smaller business we understand you may not have the biggest budget to play with, but money doesn’t always need to be spent. Here’s a few ideas…

Remove hierarchies. Of course, job titles are important but working to remove the ‘us and them’ mindset can actually make a world of difference to the aura in the room

Leading on from that, be transparent in everything you do from the top down. Some HR-related problems will need to be kept confidential but whenever something crops up, whether it’s positive or negative, make sure it’s communicated to everyone

Encourage good communication at all times. Whether that’s in person or through technology, make sure the systems are in place to help people speak to one another when they need help with anything

Don’t micro-manage! We can’t stress this enough. Not only is it ineffective but it also encourages a culture of mistrust. Instead work on employee autonomy and allow people to do their job and manage their own responsibilities

Encourage your staff to be passionate about what they do. What do they enjoy about their job? Could you do more to put projects they love in front of them?

Be flexible on remote working
Flexible working could count as one of these delightful extra perks we recommend you offer, but it’s so important nowadays that we think it deserves an in-depth look. There are a number of ways you could go about being flexible with hours, but trust us when we say that your staff, whether they’re employed or prospective, will love it.

One option is flexi-time, which is where people can start earlier in the day and finish earlier, or start later and finish later. This allows them to work around other commitments, such as childcare, or can really ease the pressure if they have a particularly difficult, long or stressful commute.

Another option is remote working. If you’re really struggling to fill the position, you could consider hiring someone elsewhere who can telecommute each day. Technology has opened up so many doors, and we’re no longer bound to a single location like we once were.

Have a strong referral scheme
Getting your existing staff members involved in the recruitment process can help you cast a much wider net and access potential candidates that you would have never been introduced to otherwise. Did you know that a study by the Harvard Business Review found “customers obtained through referrals are both more loyal and more valuable than other customers.”

Sometimes it’s as easy as who you know. By offering a decent referral bonus to your existing employees, you’re giving them a great incentive to tap into their own network. You already trust their judgment by having them work for you, so trust that they can find similar candidates.