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Because hiring is an unavoidable activity for every business and organization, everyone is always on the lookout for ways that maximize results and minimize costs. After all, businesses must get every cent of their investment’s worth to justify the spending in the first place. It can be even more challenging to hire the best in the market and build a great team when you’re a startup, mostly due to budget and resource constraints.

But attracting top talent is not solely based on lucrative salaries. Building a brand as an employer of choice and creating a workplace that is challenging, rewarding, fair, and nurturing is equally as important as compensation when it comes to hiring the best professionals. Bayt, the Middle East’s largest job site, has come up with six ways to recruit a top team for your startup:

1. Create Your Employer Brand

Professionals in the Middle East want to join a company where they feel they are working for a greater purpose. Do you have a mission and vision statement? Do you have a set of values that you can share with the world? Attracting top talent is directly related to the brand you create. Build one that clearly identifies you and your business and you will be able to attract the brightest minds.

Consider building your company profile on a leading job site; it is a great way to create a page for your company to share your news and all the great things your company does. Once you’ve created your brand, you can start to post jobs and hire people who share your values.

2. Announce Your Jobs Online

The best way to source candidates from a vast talent pool is by putting your job ads on leading job sites. With over millions of job seekers looking for opportunities online, you will never have a dearth of great talent. The trick is to write a good job description and make a character sketch of the type of employees you want to hire while using an effective Job Postings tool.

A CV Search tool allows you to search for both active and passive candidates from a vast database. It makes it easier for you to find the perfect candidates by filtering them down to your exact specifications. Both these tools are easy to use and can fall within your budget.

3. Become an Employer of Choice

Branding yourself as an employer of choice need not be an expensive affair. There are plenty of tools which you can use online to attract top talent. Use your online profiles to communicate; you can let job seekers know about your company updates, events, and even job vacancies. Engage with potential candidates by asking industry-related questions and engaging with them in meaningful discussions to get to know them better and beyond a traditional CV.

4. Perfect Your Hiring Practices

Perfecting your hiring practices will ensure that you recruit only the best. When screening CVs, you should always check for relevancy and special achievements. During the job interview, be prepared beforehand by writing down a set of questions for each candidate. Make sure to answer any questions in a welcoming and professional manner. Most importantly, let the candidate know of your decision – even if they are not selected.

60% of professionals in the Middle East feel that the most harmful thing a company can do to its brand is to not follow up or communicate after a job interview, as revealed in the Bayt’s ‘What Makes a Company an Attractive Place to Work?’ poll.

5. Turn Your Employees into Ambassadors

The best workplaces encourage employees to inspire others to join. Before reaching out to new candidates you should ensure that your current employees are happy. For this, you must inculcate a culture of transparency.

Managers of a young company should have an open and frequent dialogue with their team members and should always provide honest feedback. This way, your current employees will be encouraged to refer like-minded individuals for your startup, giving you a star team in no time.

6. Compensate Fairly