• Firstly, is there an internal employee who has the potential to train up and move into the role?
• Encourage your current team to use their own networks and contacts to make your business more visible and to suggest strong candidates.
• Check out online recruitment, job posting sites, agencies or any job fairs or networking events that are likely to steer you to a person with the skillset you’re after.
• Multigenerational recruitment could influence your strategy: what’s important to a more mature employee might not appeal to a younger recruit.
• Learn about the benefits of taking on an apprentice, as summarised by the Federation of Small Businesses.

Be open about your inclusion and diversity policies, and your sustainability credentials. Read about how it’s a good idea to prove purpose to win talent.

Look for people who are a good fit for your company culture and who share your vision.

Be sure to also flag any activities that help signpost the fun side of your culture, such as book clubs, company days out, days off to do volunteering work.

• Onboarding will vary, but allow some time when someone new joins to help them become familiar with your business and policies
• Incentivise candidates by discussing the formal training courses on offer, as well as on-the-job training, or mentoring programmes. Sponsoring people for professional qualifications could be seen as a valuable proposition.
• Use performance goals to review progress and provide regular check-ins to ensure two-way communication, and show you value feedback.
• Map our their journey by showing them their route to promotion, and what you can see them doing in two, four, five years’ time, for example.
• Compensation and benefits might include savings with retailers, bonuses, childcare vouchers, gym membership, health insurance, a pension and life insurance.

• Cultivate a workspace where people feel comfortable and valued, and where they could collaborate and be creative.
• Celebrate success and remember to congratulate on a job well done.
• Communicate effectively and foster an open approach to feedback.
• Host company events and regular team-building get-togethers.
• Create an environment that’s as comfortable and accessible as possible, with plenty of desk space, decent lighting and breakout areas if suited to your business type.
• Balance between work and life is important, and hybrid or flexible working is often something people look for.

For more on attracting the right talent, tune into Natalie Nelson chatting to hosts Holly Mackay and Eshita Kabra-Davies on the NatWest Business Extra Show.