Over half of SMEs with employees in Scotland intended to grow their business over the period 2005 - 08. Of those intending to grow, over half said that they would need to take on more staff as a result of the planned growth of the business. However, SMEs are much less likely than larger businesses to have access to in-house HR support. This means that they are less able to deal with complicated or protracted recruitment processes.

Employability advisors can provide SME employers with straightforward and effective systems that reduce the burden of recruitment and increase the chances of success.

These could include:

• Effective pre-screening of candidates
• Access to free or low cost advertising for vacancies
• Help with understanding the requirements of equalities legislation
• The provision of aftercare to new employees post employment

Healthy Working Lives advisors can signpost employers to organisations in their local area which are able to offer the kind of services outlined above.

Providing advice and support on these aspects of recruitment can make a real difference to whether SMEs take on new staff from priority groups. There is now solid evidence that making the process as simple as possible can significantly increase the numbers of people employed by small businesses (for example, the Sole Trader Initiative in Wales and Recruit Sutherland in Scotland).

You may find you are pushing at an open door. SMEs can be strongly committed to their immediate community:

• They can be keen to help young people make a solid start in life by offering them opportunities and support
• They can be keen to find roles for those who might otherwise find it difficult to make a more conventional contribution
• They can provide a supportive and attentive environment for those who may have had to deal with a range of challenges and barriers to become employable
• They can benefit from recruitment policies which help them reflect the profile of the community

SMEs often see themselves as part of the community, and want to give something back. This in turn can make them appealing providers of goods and services to larger companies, who are taking an ever stronger interest in the behaviour of their suppliers.