You’ve worked hard to build a business– pouring hours and hours of sleepless nights and creativity into a service and/or product you can be proud of. Now, your business is growing – woo! – and you need to hire folks who will carry that passion of yours throughout each and every working day. Your employees are an extension of you and your brand– just because he or she looks good on paper doesn’t mean they’re a good fit for your particular business. Hiring can be a tedious process but getting it right the first time can save plenty of time down the road.
Personality is Key
When you post a job opening on an online job board or on your company’s website, you may be inundated with quality applicants. So, how do you differentiate one from the other when their credentials may be similar? This is where an interview can really make or break a candidate. Perhaps you run a super fast-paced business and you need someone who is calm under pressure. For my dog grooming business, it’s important for my employees to be calm, professional, and cheerful. Plus, adoring animals is a must!
To better assess someone’s personality and how they’d fit into your business, be sure to ask plenty of situational questions during the interview. For example, how would you deal with an irate customer? Or, describe a time when you had too many to do items on your list. How did you solve the problem? A person’s answers to these questions can really give you a better feel of how they’ll fit in with your company.
Keep Company Values in Mind
Piggybacking off the idea of personality, it’s important to hire people who really live your company’s core values. Whether that’s transparency, patience, integrity, or other values, having people who really align with these values will help your business to succeed. It’s important to hire people who are just as passionate about your business as you are– if you feel like this person is just here for the paycheck, he or she probably isn’t the best hire for your company.
The best employees will really want to contribute to your overall business as well. Look for go-getters who aim to go above and beyond their job descriptions. To get a good read on someone, ask him or her what their values are; if their personal values overlap with your company’s values, that’s an indicator that this person may be a great fit for your business!
Don’t Expect Perfection
A problem that many employers run into is trying to find the “perfect fit” for their business. While it’s important for someone to have experience within your industry, you can’t expect them to walk into your business and be perfect from the start. No matter how many years of experience someone has, there will always be a learning curve. Keep in mind that with the right person, you can always teach the specific skills he or she may need to succeed as a member of your company.
When you’re hiring, focus on finding someone with good bones– like a house! As long as someone has the right personality and aligned values with your business, you can work together to build on that. Remember, there is no perfect cookie-cutter formula for hiring the best folks for your business. Take time to dig deep into deciding what the right hire looks like for you and your business in particular– you can structure the hiring process any way you want!
