Monthly Challenge: How to Find the Right People to Get Your Business Moving
There are so many factors an entrepreneur must consider when building their business: capital, location, resources, production and so much more. A business must work like a well-oiled machine in order to be successful — if one gear breaks, the rest of the machine can’t complete the task at hand. One of the largest gears in a small business’s machine is its staff.
Your employees can define the atmosphere of your business just as much as the décor. They can sell your product just as much (if not more) than your marketing products. Having the right staff is crucial to the success of your business — so how do you build your team? Here are some tips to help you start.
Establish Your Current and Future Needs
The first step in any relationship is communication. For the role of boss and employee, you need to communicate your expectations of them as an employee. Before you start your search, take the time to sit down and consider all the things you need to get done and how this new employee can help. Then consider how this person could help you in six months, a year, two years and so on — up to five years. You don’t have to have their entire career path set up and ready to present directly to them at the interview, but you should be able to establish what sort of person you’re hoping to hire. Ideally, that employee will stay around for years to come, but even if they don’t, you need to consider how the role will develop over time. When it comes time to post the job, include important expectations for the first year in your listing — the rest will come later.
Look for a “Jack of All Trades”
When your business is first starting out, it’s important to hire someone who is flexible and accommodating. That may mean they have multiple skill sets, a wide availability of hours or a combination of both. Most importantly, this person must have the enthusiasm to face challenges, no matter what comes at them. In time, they will grow to be a specialist for your brand and understand many parts of your business — they are an integral part of your success now with the potential to blossom into something much bigger in time.
Find a Leader Who Is Also a Team Player
When you are performing dozens of tasks yourself, you cannot also be holding the hand of your new employee. It will not be an efficient use of your time and it won’t set your employee up to grow on their own. Instead, choose someone you can guide and trust to work independently. Maybe look for a self-starter like yourself that knows how to take command of a project but also works well in a team.
Choose a Great Support System
You have a leader and a go-to player, but there is still a lot of behind-the-scenes work that you may not be able to take on yourself. It takes a lot of paperwork to start a business, so you want someone who will take command of the office and keep things moving along the way they should be, allowing you to work from a “big picture” place. This administrator may be an accountant or simply an officer manager — take a look at where you may be dropping the ball and find someone to support the areas you could be doing better. Your time can be better used focusing on the product or sales, the area of your expertise.
The Right People Should Know They’re Worth It
Decades ago, a good job involved receiving regular wages and being treated with respect. Now, it’s that and so much more. Many businesses provide “perks” as a way to regularly display their appreciation for the hard work their employees put in. Some owners will give discounts to employees for purchases and/or services from the business. Others will provide occasional free lunches, bonuses and other rewards. Not every employee will expect this treatment, but it’s all the more reason why you should go out of your way to do it. An appreciated employee is a happy employee — don’t you like it when you are acknowledged for a job well done? Practices like this help ensure that once you do find that perfect employee, you keep them.
Building the right team for your business is essential to your success. This process will take time, so be patient. Make appropriate compromises but also stand firm when you need to — the success of your business is on the line. Use these tips to help find the best people for the job. Good luck in your search!