Hiring takes FORever!
It’s so HARD!
It’s so complicated!
And look at all those applications. Uuugh!
Before you throw in the hiring towel, take a deep breath, sister. It doesn’t have to be stressful or complicated. But it is going to take some work.
Adding someone to your team–just the recruiting and hiring process–is going to take some time. Allow for four to six weeks at least. This allows you to do your research and really find the right person from the beginning, instead of floundering around with someone you thought was perfect (but didn’t vet well enough to find out).
1. Be clear on what you’re looking for.
Before you ever start talking about adding to your team, you need to do some reflection to decide where you need help. Do you need administrative help? Someone to help with sales? An outside agency to take care of your books and payroll? Determine what area of your business is holding you back the most to help you develop a quality job description for your potential new hire.
2. Enlist help from a loved one.
Nope, you are not about to hire a family member in your business.
Instead, have your spouse, biz bestie or someone else close to you who knows your business validate your job description. Ask someone to read it and tell you if it’s written in the same language you speak in and if it matches you and your values. You want to attract team members who have the same values and who like your personality. The right job description will do that.
3. Have a great candidate experience.
Your hiring process says a lot about you as a business owner and as a person. Think about how you’re interacting with those interested in your job posting and what it looks like on their end. Just like you want prospective clients to have a great experience with you, you want job candidates to also. I offer a step-by-step solution to hiring the right person, the first time.
4. Know what your budget is.
Knowing up-front what you can pay a new hire is critical, before you start looking. When you don’t have a firm number in mind, the interview process can get muddled.
You may get on a call with someone who you instantly connect with, but her skill set isn’t quite what you’re looking for or her asking rate is a little higher than you can really afford. So mentally you start thinking about all the “other” things she can do for you, forgetting the reason you needed to hire someone in the first place.
This fosters resentment and turns what you thought was a good solution for your business into a short-term relationship that doesn’t end well.
5. Set application deadlines.
You need to be able to make a decision about your hire, so you’ll need to sit down and review applications by a certain date. Make sure that you’re clear on when applications are due. If someone doesn’t apply in time, they’re out of the running.
Needing to add to your team is such a good feeling–it means your business is thriving and you’re ready to take the next big step. But hiring isn’t always a clear process, depending on how and when you need to grow.
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