Hiring qualified employees is a crucial and often challenging aspect for all businesses, which is why those that can afford to do so invest heavily in recruiting. However, smaller companies, like managed service providers (MSPs), may not have the resources to dedicate to such efforts. As a result, many MSPs struggle to attract the talent they need to grow their business.

Additionally, many MSPs have a hard time finding employees that are a good fit for their business model, which requires proactive monitoring of clients’ IT environments. If this sounds familiar, don’t worry: You are not alone. While this may be a common issue, it is an issue you can resolve if you can identify one of the most important aspects of recruitment: knowing how and where to find the right people. This process begins with crafting a clear and well-written job description that sets the direction for the recruitment efforts you’ll learn more about below.

 Recruitment & Networking

Recruitment can happen through a variety of channels including, employee referrals, networking opportunities/career fairs, a job posting on your website, or a posting on a career site such as LinkedIn or Glassdoor.

Referrals tend to be the most preferred and successful pipeline for recruitment. A recent study by recruiting software vendor JobVite revealed that, on average, it takes 29 days to hire a referred candidate, 39 days for a candidate hired via a job posting and 55 days to appoint a candidate through a career site. The study also found that referral hires are more likely to be retained. You might want to consider starting an employee referral program internally, including incentives, to increase the number of referrals you receive.

Networking is also vital in the search for qualified candidates. In-person networking events, career fairs and tech meetup groups can be particularly useful in finding potential employees. You can also utilize social media to identify potential talent through your contacts. Regardless of the venue, networking should be an ongoing effort, and not limited to when you have an open position.

 Getting the Interview Just Right

The interview process gives potential employees a peek behind the curtain of your business, and it offers you the chance to vet a candidate thoroughly. You can find out a lot about candidates by asking a series of behavioral questions and seeing how they respond. In the end, the more you know about a candidate, the better chance you’ll have of making a good hire. Conduct interviews that move beyond verifying the candidate’s skill set, and focus more on if he or she is a good fit for your company, your culture and the role you are trying to fill.

Download our eBook IT Staffing Made MSPeasy to learn how to recruit and retain the best team members.

 Stephanie Wheeler is Director, Talent Acquisition, Datto.

 This guest blog is part of a Channel Futures sponsorship.