Robert Half Survey: Greatest Small Business Hurdle is Finding Quality Talent

 A recent survey by Robert Half has concluded that finding appropriately skilled employees is especially difficult for small businesses as 60 percent of small business owners reported finding highly-skilled professionals for their jobs as their biggest hiring and management challenge. Just about 20 percent of surveyed business owners said maintaining employee morale and productivity was their primary concern. The survey was based on over 300 interviews of small business owners and managers from a random selection of companies with fewer than 100 employees.

When asked, “Which one of the following is your company’s greatest challenge when it comes to hiring and managing staff?” respondents reported:

• Finding skilled workers (70 percent)

• Maintaining employee morale and productivity (19 percent)

• Managing difficult employees (8 percent)

• Retaining staff (7 percent)

• Something else (6 percent)

“Large corporations often have established brand recognition and larger human resources budgets, which can provide an advantage when attracting talent,” said Paul McDonald, senior executive director with Robert Half. “But small businesses may appeal to professionals who want to acquire a variety of experiences and move up quickly. These companies can level the playing field in their recruiting efforts by highlighting what makes their cultures unique and emphasizing opportunities for skills development.”