Hiring issues holding you back? The business owner’s guide to competing for top talent

What’s in this guide?

Here’s a preview of what you’ll find inside:

• Hiring strategies for lean teams: Discover how to compete on more than just salary, and how to make flexibility, culture, and career growth your unfair advantage.
• Interview and shortlisting templates: Save time and reduce risk with simple frameworks to make the best hiring decisions. 
• Passive candidate playbook: Go beyond job boards to build a strong talent pipeline.
• Establish an invincible hiring process: Build a repeatable hiring system your whole team can pick up and run with every time. 

Ready to unlock it all? Download your guide today.

Common recruitment challenges holding businesses back

Not nailing your hiring process

A disjointed recruitment process slows down hiring and risks losing top candidates. The guide shows how to build a structured, repeatable process that keeps things moving and reduces bias.

Relying on old recruitment methods like job postings

Waiting for job seekers to come to you is no longer enough. Learn how talent acquisition professionals are using proactive outreach and tools like SmartMatch to get in front of top candidates more efficiently.

Not creating your own talent pool

Many employers miss opportunities by starting from scratch every time a job opens. The guide helps you build a pool of engaged candidates you can tap into – before roles even go live.

How can hiring managers attract top talent on a budget?

Hiring on a shoestring? You’re not alone. The good news is that many of the most effective strategies cost little to nothing. Here are a few popular strategies: 

• Showcase remote and flexible work options
• Offer learning and development perks (think mentoring or online courses)
• Share your company mission and culture consistently across channels
• Use AI-powered hiring tools to access pre-qualified shortlists
• Automate manual admin with recruitment software

Want to see these tips in action? Take a look below or see the full playbook in the guide.

Create a stand-out employer brand without a big budget 

To compete for top talent, small businesses need to build and broadcast what makes them a great place to work – that is, their employer brand. This is your Employee Value Proposition (EVP), and it should guide every part of your hiring process. 

But don’t worry. A strong EVP doesn’t depend on the financial benefits you can offer. In fact, far from it. The key to building a strong EVP for businesses with tight budgets is identifying and promoting the non-monetary incentives you bring. 

Define your version of “top talent” 

Once you’re clear on what you offer as an employer, it’s time to define exactly what you’re looking for in an employee. Identifying this will help you stay laser focused when it comes to shortlisting and interviewing. 

Target passive candidates by going beyond traditional job boards

Think outside the box when it comes to finding top talent. Many top performers are passive candidates: they’re open to new opportunities but not scrolling job boards. To reach them, you’ll need to go beyond traditional job ads.

Why now is the time to act

We asked our customers about their single biggest frustration with traditional job boards, and the overwhelming volume of irrelevant applications was a common response. In fact, many reported receiving up to 200 applications per role, resulting in long screening times and wasted opportunities.

We know that top candidates move fast. The best talent moves fast. Some of our customers recently shared that top candidates can be off the market in just 10 days. They won’t wait. So you can’t afford to get stuck in a slow and clunky recruitment process.

The solution? Build a hiring system that’s fast, consistent, and scalable. One that empowers your leaders to take ownership without slowing them down. 

Whether you’re hiring for one critical role or building a scalable recruitment engine, this guide will help you move with more clarity, consistency, and confidence.

Who should download this guide?

• Business owners and founders wearing the hiring hat
• Line managers supporting team growth
• HR professionals looking to enable consistent hiring practices
• Anyone tasked with improving their recruitment process, fast

Related resources from Employment Hero

• Employment Hero’s free hiring tool
• Recruitment software
• Employment law updates 2025
• 2025 Hiring Snapshot Report Australia: current trends in recruitment 

Ready to solve your hiring issues?

Download the business owner’s guide to competing for top talent: learn how to attract, engage and hire the right people quickly and effectively.

Fill out the form now to get instant access to the free PDF.