The major changes to the post-pandemic workforce brought both uncertainty and new opportunities to small business owners. As we look back at 2022, the top ShareAble for Hires articles that small business owners found helpful covered a wide range of topics, including: how to run a background checks, how to hire a freelancer, strategic tax tips for SMBs, how to create successful onboarding for new employees, surprising hiring and recruitment stats, and guidance for re-screening current employees.
Remember that this material is intended to provide you with helpful information and is not to be relied upon to make decisions, nor is this material intended to be or construed as legal advice. You are encouraged to consult your legal counsel for advice on your specific business operations and responsibilities under applicable law. Trademarks used in this material are the property of their respective owners and no affiliation or endorsement is implied.
As we look in the rearview mirror towards the past year, we can see the ongoing impact of 2022. This past year brought a lot of changes to the American workplace, including the continued popularity of hiring and managing remote employees, a worrying labor shortage with no easy solution, a stabilizing unemployment rate, and the increase of companies moving to online services like ShareAble for Hires® to screen job applicants.
Before we punch it into high gear and speed towards the hiring trends of 2023, it’s good to look back on the top employment articles of the past year and remember what we learned. Below, you’ll find the six employment articles that had the most impact on the small business community over the last year. While 2022 is nearly over, the lessons we learned will stick around much longer.
1. Most Read: How to do a Background Check on Someone
Out of the hundreds of helpful articles on the ShareAble for Hires, it’s no surprise that the Most Read Article of 2022 is all about the basics of running pre-employment screening. No matter the year, thorough background checks remain one of the best ways to help protect your business from potential harm. Knowing if your job applicant has a relevant criminal past, a troubled financial track record, or is using an assumed identity can help you make better, safer hiring decisions.
This top “how to” article covers the five critical steps for any successful background check, explains how to navigate FCRA and other data protection laws, and helps details how to interpret the information that comes up on a background check.
Article Highlight: “Even if a candidate looks perfect on paper, it’s crucial that you take the time and consider doing a background check to ensure that you’re hiring a good employee. There are many kinds of background checks. And the right one for your business depends on your industry and your organization’s needs.”
2. Most Liked on Facebook: How to Hire a Freelancer for Your Small Business
Many helpful articles are shared through the ShareAble for Hires Facebook page, where small business owners can interact with articles, ask questions, and get more information. This year, the most liked article on Facebook covered a major 2022 trend: hiring short-term and project-based freelance workers, rather than hiring for a full-time worker.
The step-by-step guide covers the types of jobs that are good for freelancers, where to find adept independent contractors, how to classify these workers in payroll systems, and other major hiring considerations to help streamline the hiring process.
Article highlight: “In the broadest strokes, hiring a freelancer can open up a whole new world of opportunities for small business owners. Freelancers can fill in the gaps within a growing business, or take on tasks that free-up both business owners and current staff. However, while hiring freelancers can be an excellent way to boost efficiency and profits, it can still open up your livelihood to a whole slate of potential risks.”
3. Most Shared on Facebook: 6 Strategic Tax Filing Tips for Small Businesses
One of the best parts of owning a small business is finding a community of other small business owners. Whether through a physical entity like a Chamber of Commerce or a virtual community like an online group or forum, many business owners like to help each other succeed by sharing information and tips.
This past year, the most shared article on Facebook centered on tax filing, an aspect of small business ownership that many find stressful. The strategic tips for filing taxes include everything from how to find small business tax credits and knowing when to hire an outside accounting professional, to how to classify your business and how preventing employee turnover can help you save at tax time.
Article highlight: “Fumbling your tax strategy could mean losing hundreds––or even thousands––of dollars in fines and facing painful legal proceedings. As your company is your livelihood, it’s important to reach the endzone by engaging in practices that help protect your investment.”
4. Most Shared on Twitter: 8 Tips to Help Successfully Onboard New Employees
This year's most shared article on Twitter focuses on an absolutely crucial, but often overlooked part of the hiring process: successfully onboarding new employees. You work so hard to sift through applications, conduct interviews, and review the results of background checks. The last thing you want is to scare new employees off as soon as they get through the door.
This detailed article goes over all the considerations you need to make your new hire’s first days great, including what you need to prepare, who to involve and when, what to cover, how to convey information, and how to review your process to make it even better next time.
Article highlight: “According to a Glassdoor report, effective employee onboarding programs increase retention by 82% and boost productivity by 70%. On the other hand, companies that are disorganized, unprepared, and inhospitable can send new hires right back out your door—often within the first 90 days of employment.”
5. Most Helpful: Recruitment Stats Every Small Business Owner Should Know [Infographic]
Data often helps small business owners make more-informed decisions. For example, getting the facts about a job applicant’s past through a criminal background check can help you decide if you want them in your businesses or not.
The article deemed Most Helpful for 2022 is chock full of data and stats that are useful for small business owners. Here, you’ll find up-to-date information about unemployment rates, current recruiting and hiring trends, how long the hiring process takes, and surprising facts about employee screening––all presented in an easy-to-browse infographic.
Article highlight: “As people head back to work post-pandemic, they’re going with a new set of demands. As a small business owner, you must be prepared to meet these demands as you work through a diverse pool of qualified applicants to find your next great hire.”
6. Staff Pick: How Often Should Background Checks Be Completed
The final article on the 2022 round-up was hand-chosen by the ShareAble for Hires staff. Most organizations are already running some kind of background check on incoming employees, but never give current employees a second look. Like creating high-quality onboarding, re-screening current employees on a regular basis is an extremely important process that too few small businesses take on––or even know about.
The Staff Pick provides considerations of who and when you might want to re-screen, such as in the aftermath of an event like a fraud attempt, when expanding products or businesses, when you have employees working with especially vulnerable populations, or even on a regular schedule. Circumstances change all the time, so it’s important to continue to keep your business safe with regular screening.
Article highlight: “As a small business owner, a stable team is the cornerstone of success. The right people will help your business grow, while an ill-fitting hire can demolish your company and devastate future plans. Regular employee background checks can provide the security, assurance, and confidence you need to expand without compromising security.”
Cruise into 2023 with Fast Employee Screening through ShareAble for Hires
If nothing else, 2022 proves that small business trends can move quickly. You need an employee screening service that can keep up. Get lightning-fast, online background checks through ShareAble for Hires.
Will your new hire bring prosperity to the new year or just a pile of their own destructive baggage? Help discover what your applicant’s past contains. A criminal records check zips through 370+ million federal and state-level criminal records searching for a match for your candidate. Meanwhile, identity verification helps you make sure your job applicant is really who they say they are.
With financial uncertainty continuing to loom on the horizon, it's imperative to help protect your livelihood. An employee credit report delves into your job applicant’s financial track record, so you can see how they manage money and debt, or if their habits could be a liability for your business.
Designed specifically for small business owners with only occasional screening needs, ShareAble for Hires delivers on-demand, affordable employee screening. You get only the reports you need, only when you need them with no subscription fees or hidden costs. All FCRA-compliant reports are backed by TransUnion, a major credit agency, so you can feel more confident in the accuracy of the data and your final hiring decisions.
The end of every year brings the opportunity for a shiny, new beginning. Help start your 2023 off on the right foot with ShareAble for Hires.
