The 3 Biggest Hiring Headaches for Small Businesses Scaling Up (and How to Tackle Them Without Burning Out)

Growing your business is exciting - but let’s be honest, hiring as you scale can feel more like a headache than a highlight. For many small business owner-managers, the pressure of finding the right people while keeping everything else running is overwhelming.

Here are three of the most common hiring challenges I see small businesses face - and some practical fixes to make the process less stressful.

1. Finding the Right Talent in a Competitive Market

North Wales and Chester are full of talented professionals, but small businesses often find themselves competing with larger employers who can offer higher salaries or glossier perks.

The Fix:

• Sell your culture and flexibility - what can you offer that a corporate can’t? (Think autonomy, variety, work-life balance).

• Write adverts that stand out. Avoid jargon and be clear about the impact the role has in the business.

• Tap into networks - referrals, LinkedIn, and local business groups often work better than job boards alone.

2. Balancing Speed with Quality

When growth is pressing, there’s a temptation to hire quickly just to fill a gap. The risk? A bad hire that costs time, money, and morale.

The Fix:

• Slow down just enough to define the role properly before advertising.

• Use structured interviews or practical tasks so you’re comparing candidates fairly.

• Remember: it’s better to wait an extra few weeks for the right fit than rush and regret it.

3. Wearing Too Many Hats

As an owner-manager, you’re already juggling sales, operations, finance - and now recruitment too. It’s exhausting, and hiring decisions made under stress can be short-term and reactive.

The Fix:

• Get outside support. A freelance strategic people partner can help define and manage the process, create job descriptions, suggest appropriate talent attraction methods and even screen candidates if time is limited - freeing you to focus on running your business.

• Put repeatable processes in place (templates, interview guides, onboarding checklists) so future hires are less time-consuming.

• Protect your own energy: block out time for hiring tasks instead of squeezing them into late nights.

Final Thought

Hiring doesn’t need to feel like another rollercoaster in the growth journey. With the right strategies - and the right support - you can build a strong team without burning out in the process.

If hiring is currently one of your biggest stress points, I’d love to chat about how I can help you take some of the weight off your shoulders.