Hiring decisions are always incredibly important, but they’re far more impactful on small business owners. A startup company’s chance of success is much slimmer than those corporate giants who can afford to hire whoever, whenever, without any regard for employee retention.

To protect the fate of your fragile business, it’s critical that you bring on the best team members you can find—but you have to know where to look, first. Here’s how to scout for top talent and recruit them to your company during your next hiring phase.

1. Start with word of mouth

Before you hire a recruiter, it’s a good idea to tell your existing employees about the new position opening up and ask if they know anyone who’d be fit for the role. They have the personal experience of working for your company and can therefore provide a qualified recommendation.

Even if they don’t have anyone in mind, just asking will show your employee that you value their input. If you do end up hiring their reference, they’ll likely express a form of leadership and take the new team member under their wing. With the motivation to make you proud, you’ll have two productive employees in a positive work environment—which does great things for company culture.

Pro Tip: While you can also ask friends and family members for references, keep in mind that these applicants may be less qualified. If you hire someone’s cousin or little sibling because “he or she needs a job” and find them unfit for the job later on, you’ll be in a pretty awkward position when you part ways.

2. Post on job listing sites

There are endless job posting sites these days with all sorts of structures you can choose from. Some are free, like Craigslist, while others require a monthly fee or pay-per-listing to match employers with job hunters.

The route you take will depend on how much money you have in your recruitment budget, but the most important thing is to make each job advertisement as effective as possible. It should be descriptive but concise, written in a tone that hedges the line between professional and casual.

If you want to attract the best applicants, you need to demonstrate why you’re the best employer that someone would want to work for. Mention some company perks—like generous time off, a flexible schedule, or regular team bonding events—and direct them to your website where they can learn more about your brand and its mission.

Pro Tip: Be certain to include any necessary qualifications in the job criteria, whether that may be a broad education requirement or specific experience with idea generation. If someone lacks the skills or certification required for the job, they won’t bother applying and will save you a ton of time sorting through unqualified applicants.

3. Do some digging around the internet

Today’s job economy is dramatically different than how it looked 10 years ago, mainly due to the large influence of social media. Recruiters can now find their way to talented workers through sites like LinkedIn (News - Alert) that foster professional networking. Candidates can also do their own research on companies using sites like GlassDoor that provide credible reviews from past and present employees to get a sense of what working at your company might be like.

Your online image is everything, so make sure your company reviews and ratings reflect the quality of service you provide—and respond to any negative comments with expressed concern over how you can correct their experience.

Another clever way to recruit qualified applicants is to check out the career page on your competitors’ website to find the names of employees in a similar position. Search for them on social media to gauge their interest in potentially switching to your team—with reasons why they might consider doing so.

Pro Tip: Remember that social media has its pros and cons; you don’t want to see someone’s subjective opinions or personal interests on their profile and use it as a bias for job disqualification. Conduct an official identity check to confirm they’d be a safe candidate to hire and leave the personal stuff out of your business decisions.

Follow these three tips to strategically grow your startup with the best team of employees by your side.