Business First Family Business, Accounting, Finance, Investing, Marketing And Management
The vulnerability of small businesses isn’t lost on many. One aspect that contributes to a businesses vulnerability is the employees who make the small business run. The right person can boost a businesses success and move the business down the right path to meet its long-term goals.
I recently spoke with one small massage company in Toronto to get their advice on how they approach the hiring process and what they’re looking for in an employee. They shared the sentiment that the right employee can make all the difference to the survival of a small business.
Here are the tips they had to share.
A Shared Vision:
The most important aspect of the right employee is that they share the same vision and passion for your goals as you do. This is especially true for small business startup companies who are looking to push themselves to gain more funding and exposure. It’s hard to run a ship when everyone wants to end up in a different location. As the captain, it’s your job to make sure your hiring first mates, cooks, engineers, and other sailors who wish to end up the same place that you do. Without this common vision you’ll often end up getting snagged and workplace chemistry will break down.
Get Creative:
When you’re working with people day in and day out you want to make sure you get along. This can be a tricky task, but as some successful entrepreneurs say, you should want to get a beer with whoever you hire. If someone has an interesting resume and they crush their interview, it’s time to move on to the next step.
What’s the next step? Invite them to an outing! Every employee is vital, so spend the extra time to invite the potential employee out and spend some time with them. You can invite them to a staff dinner, or even literally out for a beer. It’s up to you to decide what’s appropriate, but you may find this exercise worthwhile.
Be Explicit:
You don’t want just anyone to work for your small business, you want someone specific. Sifting through countless resumes and interviews to find that person can be a pain. In your job ad you should be quick to the point about exactly what you want. Do you want someone who is willing to work hard and with an energetic personality? Put that in your ad! People who know their not energetic won’t apply to your position. You’ll receive a lot less applications, but a lot more quality hires.
Be Patient:
When you begin the hiring process employers always feel as if they have to take someone, but this is counterproductive. If you’re hiring for a position and every applicant falls flat and isn’t quite what you are looking for, then don’t hire anyone. You have that option. It’s better to not hire anyone rather than hire someone who isn’t right for the job. Stop the hiring process and restart it a few weeks on with some new ad copy.
Dig Into Social Media:
While no one likes when an employer looks you up on Facebook, it’s an important step every employer should take social media security measures. We all know that people are different outside of work than they are inside. It’s normal for people to post pictures holding beers out on the boat, but we also want to make sure they’re not posting racist statuses or being overly immature. Make sure that you look up your interviewees on Facebook to see if they’re what you’re looking for.
Hire Through Connections:
A large amount of jobs are filled through already established connections. Post an update on LinkedIn or call up friends at other businesses to see if anyone they know is looking for work. This is an excellent and simple way to find a great worker who is already vetted for and it makes the hiring process simple.
Hire Competitors:
If you know of a competitor who is awesome at something, say advertising, figure out who is in charge of it and offer them incentives to join you. This is a risky move and might create some tensions between businesses, but it’s a competitive world after all. This is a smart way to get yourself a great employee while also giving yourself an advantage over the competition.
Go For A Hunt:
Is there a person who you’ve always wanted to hire? Go after them and see if they’re interested. It’s important to do this consistently because even if they’re not interested the day you call, they might be a few years down the line. It’s important to build your dream team with a small business, not just go for someone who can fill the position.
Every employee plays a vital role in the finance of a small business. Taking time to find the right employee is vital to your success and helps to reduce your vulnerability.
Image from https://stocksnap.io/author/200
