If you are starting off a business that involves hiring a team, one of the biggest challenges is finding the right people to work with.
A friend of mine has just started a small start up, and I am very excited for her! It is after all, a brave undertaking. She has talked to me about the many joys and challenges of building it from the ground up. I am not surprised when she expressed how finding the right people that can be efficient and whom she can trust is the biggest challenge for her. Starting a business is much like giving birth to your brainchild, and you’d want everyone involved in it to handle it with as much care and devotion that you would personally put into it.
So she asked me – how do I find the right people? There is no shortage of talent and skill out there. The only problem is finding the right fit for you and your business. Many experienced job seekers are clambering for scarce positions, while you have needs that may not be met by fresh graduates. A bad hire can cost your company more time and money than a bad single business decision.
Don’t go into an interview unprepared, whether you’re the applicant or the employer!
So you basically have a hiring process in place. What more can you do? I find that these three simple tips below are some of the most overlooked when it comes to small businesses or ones in the beginning stages.
1. DEFINE YOUR NEEDS. Business owners tend to feel that this step is so easy they go through it without much regard or even, not go through it at all. Outline the following meticulously – your job openings, specific job requirements and descriptions, company culture and values, and other “appreciated but not required” hiring qualifications. Writing these down will allow you to have a scorecard for each candidate you interview, whether it’s for the first batch of hires or for future ones.
2. LOOK TO EXPERTS. If you are just starting out, don’t be afraid to look at what others are doing. Ask other business owners which candidates have worked out well for them in the long run. You can even try to look for recruiting platforms or companies that provide psychometric assessment such as Chandler Macleod so that your needs are more accurately met. This works especially for more specialized positions or if you are a business that is expanding, or starting with a relatively big team. Making such an investment will save you more money and time.
Secretaries and Executive Assistants are known for having a wide network even outside the company the work for!
3. START INSIDE OUT. Announcing job openings internally is one way to get candidates that are a good fit for the company. Upon hiring and integrating someone into the company culture and practices, he/she will be able to best understand the kind of people that would work great with your team. They are also able to think of people, be it friends or old colleagues, who may be looking for opportunities. If you are a company in the infant stages, tap your own network of trusted individuals first. This way there is a sense of personal responsibility over the people that they refer to you. Not that it is something that you can ever hold above anyone’s head, but if they are people that you trust, they will most likely want to value that and only refer candidates that they themselves trust.
I think hiring people never comes easy, and for the most part you can only do so much as try to make an informed decision before you dive in. At the end of the day, do your research, stay organized, and take a leap of faith.
Have you had any experience hiring for your own business? Tell us all about it on @mscareergirl or in the comments below!
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