Three professionals in a business meeting.
Employers large and small are feeling the effects of the current labor shortage. These five Entrepreneur.com experts offer their best advice for hiring and retaining a solid team. — Getty Images/Drazen Zigic

CO— partners with Entrepreneur.com to bring you a roundup of the best Entrepreneur articles each week. Below are this week's favorites.

The United States labor market is currently facing an extraordinary challenge. In a time being dubbed as the “Great Resignation,” employees are leaving their jobs in droves. For small business owners, hiring and retaining talented and reliable employees is an important component of scaling their business. This means businesses must make smart decisions about hiring and employee retention.

To help small business owners hire and retain a talented team during this time, we've rounded up some of the best content from Entrepreneur.com contributors published this week.

Consider alternative hiring methods

Businesses everywhere, both large and small, are struggling to fill open positions. As the labor market tightens, businesses must get creative when it comes to alternative hiring methods, says Stephen Snyder, business leader and attorney. In his article, “3 Great Ways to Solve Hiring Challenges,” Snyder details three ways your business can break the mold of traditional hiring and usher in top talent.

Read the full article on Entrepreneur.

Strengthen company culture

Even if you have a competitive bottom line for potential employees, it takes strategic planning to keep them content in their roles. Donna Peeples, CEO of Motivated, Inc., argues that company culture must be in every facet of an organization’s strategy and that culture is vital to keep employees engaged, no matter the size of your business. In her article, “3 Critical Components That Dramatically Improve Company Culture,” Peeples lays out three actions that can make or break a company culture.

Read the full article on Entrepreneur.

[Read more: 6 Things Every Boss Should Do to Build an Amazing Company Culture]

Even if you have a competitive bottom line for potential employees, it takes strategic planning to keep them content in their roles.

Create a positive experience for new hires

They say first impressions are everything. This is especially true when it comes to welcoming new employees to your team. Depending on their initial experience, this positive or negative first impression may set the tone for their time at your company. To help start your business off on the right foot, Scott Bartnick, COO at Otter PR, explains how important it is to hire correctly, have a strong company structure, preplan the onboarding experience and more in his article “5 Tips for Effectively Onboarding and Training New Hires.”

Read the full article on Entrepreneur.

Offer remote work options

The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in a wave of businesses being forced to provide remote working options for their employees. These models have continued even as restrictions are lifted, causing some employees to welcome the change while others are ready to get back into the office. Lin Grensing-Pophal, a contributing editor to Entrepreneur, explains that job seekers aren’t interested in just a fully remote working option anymore. In her article, “The Importance of Having a Remote Work Option,” Grensing-Pophal explains why jobseekers desire the flexibility to choose between remote or in-person work.

Read the full article on Entrepreneur.

[Read more: 6 Creative Perks You Can Offer Remote Workers]

Use an applicant tracking system to hire

As the skilled worker shortage continues to steadily increase, businesses can take advantage of tools and technology advancements to reinforce hiring efforts. One of these tools is called an applicant tracking system (ATS), also known as a candidate relationship management system. Scott Bartnick, COO at Otter PR, explains that an ATS is like a CRM software for the hiring process. Bartnick details exactly how your business can utilize this tool in his article, “How to Hire Employees Using an Applicant Tracking System.”

Read the full article on Entrepreneur.

CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.

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