Small and medium-sized businesses are under increasing pressure. From energy costs to supplier inflation, it's becoming harder to grow sustainably. One area that's especially hard hit? Hiring.
If you're leading recruitment or managing people in a growing business, you've likely felt the squeeze firsthand. But you're not alone, and you do have options.
Why Recruitment Costs Are Increasing for SMEs
Many businesses are surprised to learn just how much they spend on recruitment — both directly and indirectly. Between job board fees, recruiter commissions, interview time, and slow hiring processes, the hidden costs stack up.
And the current climate doesn’t help:
Higher salary expectations post-pandemic
Increased competition for early-career talent
Candidates ghosting or dropping out late in the process
For SMEs, these costs hit harder because every resource counts. Hiring just one wrong candidate can affect the team, morale, and bottom line.
What Makes Recruitment Effective (Without Breaking the Bank)
Great recruitment doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, the most effective approaches often cost less because they’re rooted in clarity, systems, and consistency.
Here’s what works:
Clear employer branding: Tell your story well, and the right candidates come to you.
Targeted outreach: Focus on where your audience hangs out. LinkedIn, university job boards, early talent networks.
Structured hiring process: Shorten the time from application to offer to avoid losing good people.
Candidate experience: Keep communication human and prompt. It builds trust and reduces dropouts.
Affordable Tools & Platforms for Smarter Hiring
There are now more tools than ever to support smaller teams without in-house recruiters. From applicant tracking systems (ATS) to interview scheduling and candidate insights, you don’t need a huge HR budget to run a smooth process.
A few categories to explore:
Free or low-cost ATS platforms for organising applications
Video interviews or pre-recorded Q&As to save time
Employer branding tools that help showcase your culture
Many of these tools offer tiered pricing or even free versions for teams under a certain size. You can run a structured hiring process for as little as £30–£100/month using combinations of these resources.
Scaling Early Talent Recruitment Without the Overhead
For businesses looking to bring in early-career or graduate talent, the challenge is even more specific: how do you build a scalable pipeline without the cost of careers fairs, agencies, or big hiring teams?
This is whereDay One offers a unique approach. It’s a platform designed to help SMEs access early-career talent in a way that feels modern, human, and most importantly—affordable. You can:
Reach early-career candidates across the UK
Build employer branding that resonates with Gen Z
Use content and automation to cut hiring admin
By combining resources like employer branding, candidate matching and outreach, Day One offers a smarter way for small businesses to stand out and succeed.
The key here isn’t just about cost-saving, but building something scalable. If you plan to hire 5 or 50 grads in the next few years, having the right foundation will make growth smoother.
Conclusion: Rethinking Hiring for the Long Run
In today’s economy, recruitment isn’t just about filling roles. It’s about building a team that moves your business forward. And while it might feel like a luxury to invest in new hiring tools or rethink your process, it can save far more in the long run.
For SMEs especially, the goal isn’t to copy how big corporates hire - it’s to find lean, effective, values-led ways to bring in talent that fits.
Day One is part of that toolkit. Not because it’s flashy or corporate, but because it’s built for businesses like yours. Flexible. Affordable. Human.
With prices starting from £149/month, it's a scalable, budget-friendly option to power up your early talent strategy.
If you’re ready to rethink hiring, start with your story - and the tools that help you tell it well.
