Retail
Where to Find Quality Candidates for Long-Term Employment
If you want the best employees, look in the best places.
Photo Credit: ATA
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Author: Cassie Gasaway
Business owners want the best for their business. They want the best products, software, programs, reputation and, most importantly, the best employees. Hiring dedicated, self-sufficient individuals who are teachable and passionate about their job helps your brand flourish. If your goal is to find top candidates who fit well within your company culture, you must look in the best places.
As a quick reminder before we jump in, you must have a thorough, well-written job description to post or share before you begin your recruiting search. That’s an essential first step in finding the right candidate for your position. If you need help figuring out where to start, use the ATA’s sample job description which can be found in the Basics of Archery Retail course on the MyATA Learning Center, work with a MyATA service provider or contact ATA’s Nicole Nash for assistance.
Then, consider using these five strategies to promote your position and find the ideal candidate.
Post your job openings on your social media pages to recruit employees that are already familiar with your shop. Photo Credit: Nock It Archery
1. Share It on Social Media
Your digital channels are a great place to start your job search. Your followers likely share your vision and values and are clearly interested in your business and products. For those reasons, they might also be interested in a career with your brand. Posting a job opportunity on your social channels is a great way to source talent. You can branch out and post the position on your community’s social pages, as well.
2. Ask Your Network
If you recently established your company, there might be better options, but asking people within your circle can pay dividends if you have an extensive network. Your current employees, dedicated customers and brand partners can share the opening by word of mouth with interested friends and family members. If you trust and respect your people, chances are their referrals will also be trustworthy and of good character. If you’re on a timeline and won’t personally see your contacts, email them the job description and ask for recommendations.
3. Check with Local Archery Clubs or Teams
If you want someone with archery knowledge and experience, talk to the leaders at your local club or archery program. Depending on the level of familiarity with archery that your position requires, youth clubs like Scholastic 3D Archery or the Junior Olympic Archery Development program have high school students who might be interested. Otherwise, you can check with nearby collegiate archery team coaches for prospects. Students are perfect for internships or part-time positions. If you’re looking for more experienced candidates, share the position with USA Archery Adult Archery clubs or National Field Archery Association clubs.
4. Use Job Boards
If you’re looking for someone local, use community job boards to your advantage. Most churches, colleges, libraries and city chamber of commerce offices have public job boards that allow businesses to post positions for free. Some locations have online boards, while others have physical bulletin boards. If you run into the latter, print your job description on colored paper, so it stands out on the bulletin board. Your state might also have a job board on its unemployment website.
5. Post It on Job Websites
Online job sites help employers cast a wide net for applicants. The LinkedIn platform is suitable for filling office positions, and Indeed.com works well for hiring retail and warehouse positions. These platforms allow you to post positions for free, but you can also pay to sponsor your post to attract candidates faster. The job sites allow users to set up automatic searches and will notify them about jobs that meet their designated criteria, which can help you find suitable candidates quicker.
The archery industry also has the Archery Wire, a weekly email that shares industry news, product announcements, legislative insights and other archery-related information with its subscribers. The email has a “Jobs” section where large companies and manufacturers can share industry-specific positions.
Prioritizing Personality or Skills
As you begin interviewing the applicants, remember that most skills can be taught, but personality and approachability should be natural. For example, you might find an energetic, passionate archer who needs more sales or bow technician experience but is eager to join your team. Their personality is more important than their experience, especially because they can take a class on sales, view webinars or Masterclass courses through the MyATA Learning Center or enroll in the ATA’s new Bow Technician Certification course to learn the necessary skills to succeed.
However, suppose you’re looking for someone with a specialized set of skills — like a financial officer or communication specialist — to fill a gap on your roster. In that case, you might want to prioritize hiring someone who has the right qualifications over someone with a winning personality, but hopefully, you can find someone with both.
Final Thoughts
These recruiting strategies will help you find someone with the personality, skills and foundational knowledge to succeed within your company. And the better the fit, the more likely the candidate is to stay long term.
For more information, visit the Small Business Administration “hire and manage employees” webpage and read the following ATA articles:
Questions? Contact Nicole Nash, ATA’s senior manager of outreach, at nicolenash@archerytrade.org.
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