By: Julie Richman
There comes a time when our business needs to grow. We realise that it is nearly impossible to do it all ourselves without falling into a hole, and so we make the difficult choice of hiring someone to help out.
Recruitment of staff is an often rocky path as we search for the right person to fill the business needs. The person that presents well, may not have all the skills we are looking for, alternatively, those that come with excellent qualifications, just don’t seem to be the right fit in personality.
It is important to have a properly planned recruitment process to follow when looking to employ someone into our business, and even more important to ensure every candidate gets that same planned process to make the evaluations fair and equitable.
Here are 5 quick tips or hacks that will assist in preparing and selecting the best person for your business.
1. Be clear on the position
Most small business owners wear multiple hats and during the employment phase, expect the new staff member to be able to do the same. Owners hire for an accounts person, and suddenly have them doing reception, technical support, cold calling sales activities and making tea for the bosses business meetings. Be sure to select a person that has a lot of experience in small business that can cope with the variety and diversity of the role, or keep them focused on the one position in order to get the best out of them during the day.
2. Analyse the personality required for the role
Every person is different by nature however the main role that you require the team member to undertake has to align with their natural personality style. It is no use having a talkative and expressive person in the back working alone, they will not be happy. Conversely, having a shy and reserved person on the front counter as the first point of call, or having them in a sales role that requires them to be outgoing, will be extremely uncomfortable for them. Write the list of characteristics and behaviours the role you are employing for needs. Ensure the person chosen has a natural style and ability for the position.
3. Clearly outline the requirements and responsibilities
Many small business owners are not clear on the enormity of the tasks required to keep the business flowing. As a result they may hire too early, or think the job requires a full time person, when in fact the entire work (when one person focuses on the tasks) could possibly be done in half the time. Ensure there is plenty of work to do and estimate the time required before hiring. With the flexibility of working hours and variety of staff lifestyle demands, don’t be afraid to advertise part time opportunities. This will save you having to constantly find work for your new team member.
4. Know what every human being needs
There are 2 things that every human being needs. Firstly they need to be Happy. If a person is unhappy at work, they will eventually move to somewhere they can be valued, respected and contribute to their self worth. Secondly every human being needs to Learn and Grow. Without progressing, learning, mental or spiritual stimulation, employees in the workplace will become bored and eventually move on.
Keeping great people in your business is about recognising the above 2 components and working with them to find what makes them happy at work, and how can you give them responsibility and challenge to maintain their interest.
5. Thank them for their efforts
Very few business owners actually stop and look their workers in the eyes and genuinely “Thank” them for their efforts. Regular pauses to ensure the team know
