How to find (and keep) good employees: what's often overlooked

TL;DR. The best time to look for an employee was yesterday, and the second best is now. Most SMEs lose good candidates not because they pay too little, but because they take too long, improvise, and treat hiring as paperwork. This guide covers what works for attracting and, above all, retaining talent in small teams.

Why hiring is hard in an SME

Large companies compete with endless resources: branded videos, polished processes, salary advantages. You compete with your greatest asset: closeness. A good candidate doesn't choose only on money; they choose the project, their concrete role, and the feeling that they'll make a difference.

What usually goes wrong in SMEs:

• The job post is vague. "Looking for a versatile person" says nothing.
• The process is slow. A good candidate is lost in 2 weeks of waiting.
• There's no defined role. The employee discovers on day one that they "do a bit of everything".
• They hire in a rush. Signed without checking references.

How to attract talent (what works)

1. Write the posting thinking about the candidate

Instead of "responsibilities", write "what your first month looks like". Instead of "versatile" or "dynamic", write the concrete problems they'll solve. Good candidates smell generic posts from a mile away.

2. Set a clear salary range

Put a salary range in the post. Not only does it save awkward conversations, it filters out the wrong people and attracts the right ones. And it creates clarity about what the role really requires.

3. Keep the process under 10 days

A short hiring process is the best signal of an organised company. Schedule the interview in the first week, decide quickly, and communicate the result even when it's a no.

4. Offer flexibility and training

Flexibility (hours, some remote work where it makes sense) and training are levers an SME can offer at low cost and that weigh heavily on the decision.

5. Hire for attitude, among other things

Technical skills can be learned. Attitude, manner and fit cost more. Judge the whole profile: how they talk about their previous job, how they prepared, how they handle a tough question.

How to keep the good ones

Hiring well is half the job. The other half is making sure they don't leave in their first year:

1. Onboarding done right

The first month sets everything. Plan it:

• Day one with real, clear tasks.
• A buddy or point of reference in the company.
• Structured training (not "shadow someone and learn").
• Check-ins at 30, 60 and 90 days.

2. Regular feedback, not just the annual review

Once a year isn't enough. An informal monthly chat about how things are going and what they need beats the annual evaluation form.

3. Competitive pay, but also purpose

Money matters, but it's not everything. Employees who feel their work matters, their opinion counts, and they're progressing, stay longer and perform better. Turnover is usually a symptom of a treatment or role problem, not just pay.

4. Promote from within where possible

Watching a colleague grow is the best signal that the company has a future. Post internal opportunities before external ones.

5. Listen to why people leave

When someone says they're leaving, really listen and take notes. By the third similar departure, the pattern is yours, not theirs.

What the data has shown

Absenteeism and turnover in Spain are among the highest in Europe. A truly unhappy employee costs the company between 20% and 33% of their annual salary in lost productivity (according to several HR studies). Every avoidable exit is money straight out the door.

Conclusion

Attracting and retaining talent isn't a department; it's a series of decisions made every day. Clear posts, a fast process, good onboarding, monthly feedback, and a role with purpose. The good news is that these are things an SME can do better than a big company, simply because it knows its people.

If you want to set up a simple system so you don't lose candidates or your people — organising posts, tracking processes, automating first contact — we can help you get it ready.