Every successful entrepreneur reaches a point where they need help. The obvious way of getting this help (if you can afford it) is hiring an employee. However, hiring and human resources is not on the average entrepreneur’s resume. It can be an easy enough skill to learn (considering that entrepreneurs tend to be fast learners anyway) if you know the dos and don’ts of the hiring process.
DO: Know what you want.
This may seem overly obvious, but consider: how many employers hastily jot out an ad without ever thinking about what they really need? You need to look around your business and do some serious thinking before even beginning the hiring process. If you are hiring for the first time, think about what duties you really want to hand off. What strengths and weaknesses will best complement your own? If you already have employees, you should think not just about what skills will enhance your team, but about what type of personality will fit best. You cannot put out a job ad with “bubbly and fun” or “thick-hided with an ironic sense of humor”, but you certainly can screen for these traits in employees.
DON’T: Write a garbage ad.
In case you have not flipped through the want ads lately, many businesses have very bad advertisements for open positions. They do little to market themselves to available talent. While there are many workers looking for jobs right now, the most capable employees are very much in-demand. The only way to get to them first is to make your want ad a way of marketing your business. Don’t give a dry list of demands and qualifications; focus on why the right person would want to work for you.
DO: Ask around.
If you were looking for a doctor, would you check the yellow pages? Most people would ask family and friends until they found the right person. You should approach hiring in the same way. Tell friends and family that you are looking for someone with a set list of qualifications and let them do the work for you. If you already have employees, be sure to ask them if they have acquaintances in the field. Often, word of mouth will bring in better qualified employees who are a better fit for your company.
DON’T: Make the hiring process too difficult.
Many employers impose huge amounts of challenges on would-be employees. The idea is that this gets rid of the people who are simply not motivated and leaves you with the most hard-working, qualified employees. In reality, this may leave you with just the people who have no respect for their own time. Make it easy for people to apply for a job, and you will end up with a more impressive pool of people to choose from when it comes time to pore through the resumes.
DO: Impose “smart gates”.
Smart gates are tasks that potential employees create in order to show you their abilities. We are not talking about a stupid English test; rather, ask something like: look at our website and tell us how you would improve it. This example may not work so well for you; a smart gate is only really smart if it is testing abilities and traits that will be the most important on the job, and if the average potential employee will not view it as a barrier.
DON’T: Disqualify people for the wrong reasons.
I have talked to many human resources people who had appalling rules. Whether they only hire people with good handshakes or never hire someone who has a colored resume, many have some way of narrowing down their candidates that has nothing to do with their ability to do their job. You should be hiring based on qualifications, interpersonal skills, creativity and other needed traits, not for their taste in shoes. Don’t cut people out for stupid reasons if there is a good chance that they would make great employees despite failing whatever silly test you have devised.
DO: Look for intelligence and common sense.
When I was in school, I was hired for a service job despite having no experience in the field. The manager’s reason was that I had people skills, which she could not really teach, while the other skills could easily be learned. I excelled in that job and stayed with the company until I graduated. When hiring, think about what you really need. Some jobs will require people skills, while others might need a good grasp of common sense. Look for these traits specifically, and don’t be afraid to give up some less desirable qualifications in favor of the ones you really need.
DON’T: Look for qualifications that you cannot afford.
One of the major mistakes in this economy is assuming that you can afford much more employee than before. This may be true on a temporary basis—you certainly may find someone who is out of work and simply wants a job—but in general, these people will leave as soon as something better comes along. You need to be very realistic about what kind of employee you can afford, not just to hire but to keep. Hiring is time-consuming and expensive; don’t set yourself up for having to do it again in a few months.
DO: Practice interviewing.
When you are interviewing, it is important to ask questions. However, you should not do all the talking. How can you find out anything about your potential employee if you don’t listen? Try to stick to questions and simply let the employee determine the direction and tone of the interview. This will allow you to get a really good idea of who the candidate is as a person.
DO: Train with a brain.
You have already decided what this employee will be doing, so design a training plan that maximizes their exposure to their job duties. Include specific goals, daily routines and more. Make sure you teach the employee everything that they need to know for their job, but not a whole lot more.
