When Running a Company, Hire to meet Specific needs
Hiring and training a new employee costs significant time and money for a company. A small business owner cannot afford to make a mistake. If you run a small business, much of your success hinges on the quality of people you hire. Making the wrong hire can prove costly on so many levels. It can amount to wasted time, lost money and curtail anticipated growth.
You can employ several strategies to ensure you make the right hire for your business:
Focus on your needs
Compare your anticipated staffing needs against your current resources. Examine areas in your organization that are critical components of future growth. Do your current employees in those areas have the right skills and qualifications to help your business grow? Do they need further training and education? Can they handle an increased workload? The answers will reveal what your business really needs in terms of who you should hire. Hiring to meet specific needs is cost-effective because it helps prevent your budget from being swallowed up by a bloated payroll.
Create a strategic staffing plan
Planning ahead lets you manage growth in your business before that growth occurs. You can meet your staffing needs easier if you anticipate them ahead of time. A strategic staffing plan should mesh hiring practices with your company’s short-term and long-term needs. It outlines how many jobs need to be created over a certain period of time, the skills and qualifications each job will require and how each job fits into the organizational structure of your company.
Search for experience
It might seem like a good idea to just hire a bunch of interns or recent college graduates to save money. That isn’t the smartest approach to running a business. Experience matters. You need to hire people who know how to run a business. An experienced accountant can help you keep your expenditures from overrunning your budget. An experienced manager can help younger employees develop skills that will help them serve your customers more effectively. Skimping on experience is a recipe for disaster.
Pay attention to personality
Bad hiring decisions start when a hiring manager fails to look at anything beyond a candidate’s resume or cover letter. Everyone can look good on paper. Personality distinguishes a good employee from a bad employee. You need to know if a candidate has the right personalty to fit in with your company culture before you hire them as an employee. You can determine if a candidate aligns with important values for your business through personality testing. Using a personality test lets employers know how a candidate will react when faced with certain situations in their job.
Take your time
A hiring decision should never be forced or rushed. It is important to cast a wide net and interview several qualified candidates rather than picking whoever comes along first. Choose a person who can grow and learn within their role and will bring ideas that will help your business grow and prosper.
