Here is an excerpt from an article written by Cindy Lubitz for Talent Management magazine. To read the complete article, check out all the resources, and sign up for a free subscription to the TM and/or Chief Learning Officer magazines published by MedfiaTec, please click here.

* * *

Having consulted and coached organizations of all sizes, from Fortune 500 to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), I have found a few things to be consistently true. One notable and frustrating observation: recruiting efforts so often fall short within small and medium-sized businesses.

What’s more, because of the size of these organizations, inconsistencies and errors are amplified with a less forgiving margin of error.

Large and small organizations face different challenges when it comes to the talent acquisition process.

As HR consultant and writer Sharlyn Lauby writes in her blog, “There are some instances where smaller companies might have a slight advantage. For example, when it comes to flexible work and work environment, small companies have the advantage. They also fare slightly better when it comes to employee retention. Larger companies tilt the scale when it comes to resources. Obviously, being bigger means they do more volume and get dedicated resources for their efforts.”

Here are a few points on what I’ve learned and how we have advised HR leaders to improve their recruiting processes:

One or two people trying to be all things to everyone. At SMBs, the designated HR folks are often left having to run the search process, manage the searches and still serve in traditional administration roles. There is no shortage of work to be done or fires to be put out, leaving them in a constant state of reaction. They are stretched too thin to develop a deep pipeline for any role — and, as a result, the overall quality of the candidate pool suffers.

No process or infrastructure in place. For this, think in terms of manufacturing. To successfully manufacture a product, you need a plant, machines, tools to work on the machines, people to run the machines and an engineer to keep it all optimized. In recruiting, an infrastructure is also needed to optimize the recruiting process. Many SMBs are lucky to even have an applicant tracking system, while others are left to function with only email and spreadsheets. SMBs also lack a clear brand, careers website, people to source and seek out candidates, any specialization among recruiters or not enough recruiters in the first place. And with no one providing oversight to the process, success is difficult to achieve.

* * *

To read the complete article, please click here.

Cindy Lubitz is the founder and managing director of inTalent Consulting Group, a national HR consulting firm founded in 2006. The firm is well known for its demonstrated and proven strategies for improving companies’ talent acquisition and talent management effectiveness. Through inTalent, Cindy has worked and consulted with Fortune 500 companies, including Assurant, Toys R Us, Chick-fil-A, TJMaxx, Equifax, WCRI, Turner, Dow Jones, Microsoft and Coca Cola Enterprises, among others. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience, Cindy is a talent expert. Prior to starting inTalent, she led both talent management and talent acquisition functions during her 11 years with The Home Depot.