When you run a small business, the employees you hire really do define your business. After all, you may only have 5-10 employees, so if even one of them isn’t pulling their weight, the entire business usually feels it. So how should you conduct the hiring process while keeping this in mind? Here are three excellent tips to help you get through the hiring process with only the best employees joining your team.
1. Create both General AND Job-Specific “Must-Have” Lists – Sometimes when interviewing someone, you may be inclined to hire them just because they have everything you want for that specific job, without stopping to think, “Does this person fit well with the staff we already have?” When you work in a close environment, it is important that the staff works well independently AND together. If you hire someone that likes to gossip or fight with coworkers that are used to a very laid-back and non-confrontational atmosphere, it will eventually become irrelevant how well they do their job, because the rest of your staff will probably not be able to work as well in the newly created hostile environment. To come up with the General “Must-Have” list, sit down with their staff and ask them what they like and dislike in an office environment. Keep the most common answers on a list, and be sure to add the ones you personally feel are necessary as well.
2. Emphasize the “Small Business” environment – There are many people who have left corporate giants for less pay, in order to work in a less hostile environment. Many small businesses cannot necessarily pay like the big boys do, but can offer their employees that more comforting environment. When interviewing prospective employees, make sure they have this quality. A person who is just starting out and trying to get their foot in the door may be a great fix for a temporary job, but they may not be interested in a small business atmosphere. If you are looking to hire a long-term employee, it may be a good idea to hire someone with experience working in both a large corporate setting as well as a small business atmosphere, and have consciously decided that the small business environment is best for them.
3. Never Stop Looking & Recruiting – Even if you feel you have all the people you need, always keep an eye out for great people. You can always offer independent contractor positions to those people that you can’t offer full-time positions to at the moment. This will give you a chance to try them on and see if they fit. The best long-term employees can come around when you least expect them, and they will pass you by if you stop looking, even for a moment.
Have a great team at your small business? Tell us how you found them by commenting below!
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