HR Roundup: Week of August 28

The Talent Imperative: Four Strategies Smaller Companies Can Use to Attract and Retain Talent
It’s a job-seeker’s market, and that’s only expected to get more pronounced in the coming years. With this talent shortage, how are small- and medium-sized businesses supposed to compete, especially with tiny HR departments? Smaller companies can offer more growth and training opportunities–the smaller the company, the easier it is for employees to access and work their way to the top. Employees also have the ability to make a greater individual impact at small businesses than at large ones. In addition, small companies have the ability to hire for culture fit to a degree large companies do not, thus increasing their ability to retain what makes their organization unique.
Hannah Elise Jones ( @HannahElise007 )/Great Place to Work blog

Why Company Culture is Crucial for SMEs
Corporate culture is a ubiquitous topic of conversation, and no one needs to be listening more than small businesses. The smaller you are, the more centralized you are, with every department’s work directly impacting each other in the pursuit of a common goal. The more invested employees are in a company, the greater commitment they’ll demonstrate and the fewer mistakes they’ll make.
Sarah Willis ( @SarahQWillis )/TalentCulture blog

Amazon’s No Outlier: The Science Behind Broken Work Cultures
Amazon isn’t alone in its burnout-inducing environment. In their quest to innovate and create, the most successful companies often push their employees to the limit. Why we work directly impacts how well we work–and employers need to tap into that if they’re going to get the most out of their employees. “Total motivation” gets to the why, and can be broken into six main motives: play, purpose, potential, emotional pressure, economic pressure and inertia. Employees who exhibit total motivation outperform their peers, and this directly corresponds to a positive customer experience.
Lindsay McGregor ( @mcgregorle ) and Neel Doshi ( @neelvf )/Fast Company

Fast Company: High Growth Hiring Hacks for Successfully Scaling Recruiting
It’s understandable that many startups try to do more with less. Cash is frequently at a premium, and you don’t want to bring on a bunch of new employees just to underutilize them. But if you’re understaffed, your employees are likely to feel stressed–and your customers may feel the strain. Leaders need to develop a thorough understanding of their team’s capacity, and how adding staff can help them meet goals. One of the best ways to keep your customers happy is by keeping your employees happy.
Susanna James ( @susannaja )/Recruiting Daily

How Chipotle’s Plant to Hire 4,000 Workers in One Day is Sure to Backfire
Scaling your hiring process is great, but it’s possible to move too fast. Chipotle recently announced its plans to hire as many as 4,000 employees in a single day next month. It’s great publicity, but it comes with some downsides. Prospective candidates who are already employed and scheduled to work that day will be less likely to apply. Hiring managers will be more focused on quantity than quality. Training that many new hires is going to take time and resources. Hiring 4,000 people over the course of several months, instead of one day, would likely yield more successful outcomes.
Suzanne Lucas ( @RealEvilHRLady )/Inc.

How to Build a Solid Pipeline of Great Candidates
Forget “Always Be Closing,” recruiting’s got its own ABCs: “Always Be looking for qualified Candidates.” Even if you’re not actively hiring, your should always be building a network of candidates for future roles. Deliver useful information to candidates, through blogs, email or social media. Don’t just discuss your job opportunities (many of which may not be relevant), but include general career advice or industry insights. And be sure to share candidate and client success stories–that social proof will help prospectives make the leap and start working with you!
Debby Millhouse ( @debbymillhouse )/ERE Media TLNT blog