In the following interview with CareerBuilder, Mary Massad, division president of Insperity™ Recruiting Services, discusses how Insperity is empowering small- and medium-sized businesses to find the qualified talent they need to grow their organizations in particular, and contribute to economic growth overall.

Insperity supports more than 100,000 small- and medium-sized businesses, and the over 2 million employees who make up those businesses. Why do you believe it is important to help small and medium-sized businesses in particular?  Small business has always been at the heart of everything Insperity does. Our organization was built around the belief that entrepreneurs and small business owners are the drivers of innovation and critical to the success of America’s economy.  With the backdrop of our economy, it’s even more important today that we help small businesses.

What is the most common challenge small business owners face when it comes to recruiting?
By nature, small business owners are experts in their field or craft, but they don’t necessarily have the bandwidth or resources to focus on their HR strategy. That’s where we step in. As part of a customized HR service plan, we help businesses clearly identify how to bring in the right talent at the right time.

Do you have different recommendations for the small business owner whose company is growing quickly than you do for the owner of a medium-sized business?
Philosophically, we don’t. We believe there are fundamental frameworks that every organization of every size should follow in order to get the right hire the first time. For instance, every company, regardless of size, should have a very clear handle on their culture, by which I mean the ability to attract candidates who are as excited about your organization as you are. Every organization needs to recognize and identify the skills, competencies and knowledge individuals need in order to make an immediate impact on their companies.

Do you think that, in today’s economy, people are more apt to want to work for a small business? 
It has definitely changed over the last few years. Given the economy and the layoffs within some of the larger businesses, mindsets are changing. What we hear from our applicants is an excitement about small business. You have direct access to the owner of the company, so there tends to be a very entrepreneurial spirit. There may also be less red tape and fewer bureaucratic systems inside of a small business.  What excites applicants the most about working at a small business is the ability to make an impact on an organization, work side-by-side with entrepreneurs and see everything they do on a daily basis.

Do you feel like your small business clients have a grasp on their culture and how they project to applicants?  Or do you help them convey that?
We do have support in that arena. Every company has a culture, whether it’s by design or by default. All it takes are a few simple questions owners could ask themselves or their employees (such as “Why do you stay here?” or “What attracted you to this company?”) to help you understand what your culture is about. We provide products and services to support building a culture, but I think it’s more along the lines of identifying what it is. For instance, there’s nothing wrong with a business that has an extremely competitive environment, as long as you acknowledge it. There are people who will fit that culture – you just have to communicate it.

There’s been a lot of media attention on the skills gap, and how companies are having trouble finding the qualified talent they need.  How is Insperity addressing these needs?
We have many relationships within different communities to provide training and skill development. We’re also working to help clients identify transferable skills. For example, candidates may not always possess the exact abilities you want for a certain position, but they probably have other skills they bring to the table that can be transferred into that role, with equal success.

What is the most valuable advice you would give a small business owner about recruiting?
Small business owners should have a clear understanding and recognition of who they are as an organization and what they need from the people coming into their organization. It’s so important to the success of a company. Think of it like grocery shopping:  Anyone who goes to the grocery store hungry – or with no idea what they are going to prepare – will end up buying too much, only to realize later that even though they have a lot of items, they don’t have all the ingredients needed to make a complete dinner. I think that’s what happens with small businesses: a vacancy opens and there is a sense of urgency to fill that vacancy right away. If small business owners could step back and think ahead of time about their needs with any given vacancy – and how the needs tie to the whole and fit within the organization’s culture – the selection process becomes much easier.