Technology or People . . . Which One Do You Invest In?
October 30, 2025When beginning a search to fill an open role, many SMB hiring managers fall into two camps. Some believe good candidates are impossible to find and give up trying. Others believe a superstar is simply out there eagerly waiting for their company’s opportunity to surface.
Steve Preda, a Business Growth Strategist with Summit OS, wrote an intriguing article about building a Leadership team. He mentioned three reasons why acquiring talent is difficult for SMBs.
1. SMBs don’t have the budget to pay competitively.
2. SMB companies are not as attractive to top talent as big companies.
3. Attracting top people in mid-career status is difficult.
I agree on all three points. Compensation is always a factor. Competition is intense for top talent. And, finding experienced people ready to jump ship is challenging.
Searching for a perfect candidate when facing the three obstacles mentioned above can turn a search into a very long, frustrating and expensive endeavor.
Unfortunately, superstar candidates don’t grow on trees, ready to be picked whenever your company wants them.
To be successful when hiring, small businesses may need to adjust their high expectations on what type of candidate is acceptable. Finding a Unicorn that fits compensation, location, industry, culture and many additional criteria may be unrealistic.
If you can not afford to “buy” top talent and pay top dollar, then perhaps it is best to “build” talent. Yet, training and developing talent can be a long arduous process and not a feat that all companies are ready to tackle.
We have been addressing these issues with clients for many years. Yet acceptance Competing for talent against large companies that offer larger salaries and benefits is challenging. Lack of career progression within small businesses is another knock-out.
Sometimes, clients will accept our early recommendations to adjust expectations, particularly with compensation. Other times, they need to see the lack of quality candidates in their desired comp range before accepting reality. And many are surprised and disappointed when their top choice doesn’t accept their offer.
Yes, recruiting is difficult for small businesses. Yet hiring talent is a necessary step to manage and grow a business effectively. As frustrating as it may be, hiring good people who have the ability to step up to your expectations in time may be the answer.
Feel free to reach out to us if you need help achieving recruiting results.
Ann Clifford
