Great Ways To Hire

When you’re out on your own running your own business can, at times, feel overwhelming. It’s not that you’re not more than capable of doing the work and doing it well but there just never seem enough hours in the day to carry out all the tasks you’re meant to get done.

You need to be an expert in so many things, from creating and implementing your marketing strategy to honing your pitching and sales techniques, it all comes from you. That’s quite aside from your data and file management plus your accountancy that needs keeping on top of. For the most part, smart accounting tech and superior file management helps keep things under control, but there are times when nothing is going to help you like a physical pair of hands in your office.

When that time comes, you know you’re going to need to get recruiting. We bring you a guide on how to make the best hiring decisions and why your team is your best asset.

The team works

There are lots of business-based decisions why recruiting is a great idea but there are also less tangible reasons why having staff is great for business.

The main being is that it’s great for you, as the boss, to have people on your side. These people know your goals and aspirations and work hard with you to help achieve them. There’s nothing like having everyone pull together to get those objectives done.

That’s why making the right hire is absolutely crucial. The right candidate won’t just be getting the work completed they’ll complement your style and bring something extra to the working environment through their personality and the soft skills they’ve acquired. So, how do you get it right first time? You plan and consider the details.

Back to basics

You want the right person but first you need to decide what the right job is. At all costs, when drawing up your job description, should you avoid being too general, too vague about what it is exactly that you want.

Instead think of the one main task you want your hire to do and add the secondary details from there. For example, you might be looking for a Media Manager. Their main role might be creating proactive media news stories for online news outlets. Make that clear. Their secondary role might be responding to reactive news and dealing with journalist enquiries and so on. 

By being specific, you will get applicants who have the right experience, skills and qualifications and avoid the ones who don’t. 

In your job specification, you’ll also need to spell out the nature of your work, why the role is necessary and the very basic details such as hours of work, place of work – though this might be flexible if you encourage remote working and of course, salary.

After you’ve ironed out all the details of your job description, you’ll want to turn your attention to the person specification. Don’t get these mixed up. The two are very different and, if anything, the person specification is going to be where your perfect candidate is created.

You’ll need to think about what exact skills they’ll need to fulfil each role you’ve set out. There will be some skills that are essential, the ability to work to deadlines for example, and some that are desirable such as experience with the Cisco telephone system. Some skills can be taught, and some must be very much a part of the candidate’s existing skills set.

There are also the categories of experience and education to think about. You might need to think about what the minimum requirement is for both, bearing in mind how much you’re willing to pay in terms of salary. A more experienced, highly qualified candidate is going to expect a higher salary than someone looking for their first role in this area. You might want to compare junior, mid, and senior level salaries for example.

You’re also looking at soft skills as well as hard skills. So, while they may tick all the boxes, can they bring with them anything else that’s going to add value to their role. For example, do they have great communication skills and come across as reassuring and confident in their verbal as well as non-verbal communication with you and with potential clients.

With so much to consider, it’s no wonder you’re going to need to take some time over this part of the recruitment process. If it makes the matter easier, get some examples from online resources and follow a template so you don’t miss off any essential elements. Then you’re ready for the interviewing process.

Great interviews

This is the big test. Has your initial sift of applications turned up the right candidate? Naturally, the interviewees are going to be nervous and that’s ok, it’s important you see how they perform under pressure in any case.

The interview is where you get the chance to eek out information that isn’t contained in a resume. You’ll want to ask for real life examples for when they’ve displayed the skills they claim they have. Look for answers that demonstrate they have solved a problem and added value to their previous companies, look for confidence and the ability to think under pressure. 

Aside from being able to demonstrate they have the skills you’re looking for, you’ll also need to get a sense of their character. Are they going to make a good fit for your business? Look for a connection and go with your gut feeling about the kind of person they are.

Then you’re ready to take the plunge and make a great hiring decision. Go away and think about it for a morning before settling on your final candidate. Feel free to bring them back for a second interview if you feel you have any unanswered questions.

Build a great team to support and grow your business. Employees who have your back are an investment well worth making.