Whether you’ve done it 10 times or it’s your first time, hiring new employees is always challenging. So, how can you set your business up for success when you bring new team members on board? Believe it or not, there are specific factors you should keep in mind to hire the right employees for your small business, including:
Job Experience
First things first, you want to make sure they have the right job experience to meet the demands of the position. Even if they turn in an impressive resume listing their skills, achievements, and previous jobs, seeing it on paper usually isn’t enough. During the interview, you’ll want to ask carefully planned questions to confirm that they do, in fact, have the experience they say they do and will be up to the task of handling their respective job duties. To really put them to the test, you can even have them do an evaluation or provide an in-person sample of their work.
Safety
Safety is always a priority when hiring. When it comes to safety in your business, this can include literal physical safety for both your employees and customers, but also security and privacy. Before you make any final hiring decisions, it’s highly recommended that you look into their background. To do so, you’ll need to use a service that provides identity verification for small businesses. This is especially important if you’re hiring for a position that will be handling sensitive information or will be working with a high-risk clientele like children or seniors.
Personality
As you likely know, certain personalities can be difficult to work with. One bad apple can make it harder for the team to achieve goals, collaborate, and even affect motivation to come into work. And, if your startup team is still small, the personalities of the individuals you hire can not have a long-lasting impact on the culture you create. Fortunately, you don’t have to just rely on your gut instincts when it comes to reading someone’s personality. There are actually pre-employment personality tests that can help you match someone’s personality to the position or the rest of your team.
Attitude
As an employer, you want someone who is passionate about their work and your company. Otherwise, they could be more of a hindrance than an asset. For example, hiring someone who is a go-getter will help push the rest of the team forward and contribute to taking your startup to the next level. Someone who thinks they’re due all the credit can be especially damaging to your progress and team dynamics.
The bottom line is that you want to bring someone on who will have a good attitude about putting in the work and going above and beyond to help make your small business a success.
Cultural Fit
Is your company culture laid back or uber-professional? Do your employees working as hard as necessary to get the job done or keeping a stricter work-life balance? Do you expect new hires to be social? These aspects of your company culture are important to consider during the hiring process because you want to someone who is on the same page. Ask them about their priorities and ideal work environment during the interview. You could even run through a few scenarios that might help you get a better idea if they’re a good fit.
Expectations
There’s nothing more disappointing than hiring someone only for them to quit a month or two later because they didn’t have realistic expectations about the position. That’s why it’s important for you to make sure that you carefully communicate the duties of the job, workplace environment, whether the position is short-term or long-term, compensation, how much time they’ll be expected to be on the clock or present in the office, and other important aspects of their employment. While this might make it harder to find someone immediately, it will pay off in the long run.
Having your priorities in order and projecting that competence can help you find truly capable candidates who will be a great asset to your team. By running through this list when reviewing applications and conducting your interviews, you can equip your business with the right people to help make your business a success.
Guest Contributor
Adam enjoys a comfortable life in Tucson, Arizona but is proud of the humble beginnings from which he came. Growing up reading authors such as Timothy Ferris, and feeling inspired by their bootstrap beginnings, Adam was determined to find financial freedom himself. He soon became a successful real estate mogul after one deal led to another, and not long after Adam began his own fix-and-flip enterprise. Aspiring investors and HGTV fans alike enjoy reading his blog about the various challenges and accomplishments he finds in each property renovation, as well as the tips and tricks he suggests for those considering their own fixer-upper. In between remodels, Adam enjoys teaching his audience about various investment strategies and how any Average Joe like himself can build a profitable portfolio. Apart from real estate, he’s very much interested in Silicon Valley, venture startups and the technology industry. He watches that arena with a careful eye, and is the first to alert his readers to major news or events.
