Finding the Right Staff to Expand Your Small Business

How to Choose the Right Employees and Help Pave the Road to Success

Congratulations –you struck out on your own and started a small business but you have managed to be successful and expand your current company. It is now time to start the sometimes dismaying process of hiring more employees to help carry the growing workload. It can be difficult for small business owners to not only find qualified candidates but also be able to retain their employment over time. It is important to ensure the right people are being hired for the job in order further the business’s success.

Stop Filling Positions

Too often hiring begins with the idea that positions need to be filled. Secretary, vice president, and account manager are titles and business owners are quick to fill a specific role. A better way to begin is to determine if the business needs more support–look at the entire workload, evaluate the culture and gauge current employee’s stress levels. Once it has been announced that the company is hiring, take interest in how a candidate’s personality, work ethic and skill set fit into the business’s culture.

Use a Hiring Window

Business owners will usually jump to hire the first “qualified” candidate that applies for an open position but hiring this way short hands the business on finding the best possible candidate. Set a time frame in which to conduct interviews and, instead of hiring the first candidate that meets the requirements, use the entire window to interview as many individuals as possible. Only make a final decision when the window has passed – doing this gives you more options and more time to make a great choice.

Have Candidates Demonstrate Their Skills

Business owners usually read a list of skills off the candidate’s resume. Although this is a simple way to understand and evaluate an individual’s skill level, it can also be effective to have the interviewee demonstrate those skills. This allows business owners to see first-hand what the candidate can do and better evaluate their skill set. Although putting a candidate on the spot in this way may be uncomfortable, there is nothing unprofessional or unfair in asking them to do so.

Probation Periods are Important

Hiring a candidate should never be the end of the process – many business owners forget the importance of a probation period. During this time, the individual should meet the rest of the staff and begin working. Once this period has passed, review their performance and discuss whether the business is a good fit for them as well as them being a good fit for the business. There is nothing wrong with discovering an individual and a position are not a match and interviewing other candidates.

When it comes to expanding a business, having the right talent on board to help the company be successful it vitally important. By implementing these hiring techniques, business owners can find the right candidates for their company and ensure continued success down the road. By leaving options open and understanding that candidates are not simply bodies within a position, business owners can choose the best possible people for their team and relieve some of the stress of finding new talent.

Would you like more help getting your small business organized? Stacy O'Quinn serves as a small business mentor to dozens of business owners and he can help you too! For more information about Stacy, click here.

*Photo Courtesy of bpsusf via Creative Commons License