Every small business owner wants to provide great service, make their customers happy and build a great reputation for their business. But, here’s the thing. Small business owners can’t do it on their own.

In most cases, it’s not business owners themselves who interact with and serve customers. It’s their employees.

Your employees are the face of your business. They are the ones who set the stage for the customer experience you provide and, subsequently, the reputation you build.

Building a winning team is the key to a small business’s success. Here’s how.

7 tips for hiring great employees

#1. Develop a company culture

Company culture defines the shared values, attitudes and beliefs within your organization. It impacts everything from how your team interacts with customers to the internal interactions between employees and management.

Culture plays an important role in the hiring process. Before you start putting the word out about your open positions or accepting applications, take some time to define what the culture of your company looks like.

#2. Build a careers page on your website

Your website is a powerful way to get the word out about new products or services you’re offering. In the same way, it can also be used to highlight any positions you’re looking to fill on your team and gather applications.

Build a great careers page on your website where people can learn about your open positions, company culture and existing team. Make your page stand by adding a company video that highlights your culture.

Add an application form to your website so that people who are interested in applying can do so quickly and easily.

#3. Highlight your job openings on social media

People won’t apply for any open positions you have if they don’t know that they exist. Social media is a great tool for spreading the word about any openings on your team within your community.

Post about any open positions you’re looking to fill on social media. Facebook is a wonderful place to post about open positions, as is LinkedIn, because it allows you to target people with specific talents within your specific industry.

Many qualified applicants aren’t actively looking for a job. By posting on social media instead of just job boards, you get in front of more of those applicants.

#4. Get listed on Glassdoor

Whether someone is looking for a locksmith to change their locks or a great restaurant for lunch, in most cases, they start by reading reviews. Looking for a job is no exception.

Just as people want to know they’re choosing a professional locksmith and a delicious lunch spot, people also want to know that they’re applying somewhere that will treat them right and value their hard work. To get the information they need, they turn to reviews on Glassdoor.

In order to attract the best applicants, you need a good reputation on Glassdoor. Make sure that your business is listed on Glassdoor, and actively ask for feedback from existing employees in the form of Glassdoor reviews.

#5. Ask employees for referrals

Your employees can give you reviews on Glassdoor to help you attract great candidates. But, they can also help you throughout the hiring process by referring friends and old colleagues to your business.

No one wants to look bad by referring someone irresponsible or less-than-punctual for a job at their work. That means that you can reasonably expect that most employee referrals will be higher-caliber candidates.

Plus, at the end of the day, you don’t want to just hire great employees, but you also want to keep them. Hiring people your employees know and like helps you create the kind of workplace people want to stick around for.

#6. Offer competitive pay and benefits

Most people don’t work because they’re bored and looking for something to fill their day with, or they need to be entertained. They do it so they can eat, make their house payment, save for retirement or support their loved ones.

Offering competitive pay and benefits is one of the most important aspects of both attracting the best employees to your team and keeping them.

We’ve recently partnered with Small Business Benefits™, which gives small business owners access to group health insurance and other employee benefits to help them attract and keep the best team.

#7. Make work fun!

Although it’s true that most people are working for a paycheck, 40 hours a week is a lot. And no one wants to spend those hours at a job that makes them miserable.

Do what you can to make your business a fun place to work. Have team games and competitions. Tell jokes, celebrate victories and laugh easily.

When your employees are happy, they’re more likely to spread the word and recommend your business to others. This will mean more applications and long-lasting employees.

Your employees are the face of your business. They have a direct impact on the service you provide, the reputation you build and the customer experience you offer. Hopefully, these tips will help you hire a great team for your business.

Learn how Randy Ross Tennis Center in Denver drove applications with the help of the Marketing 360® platform.