A lot goes into building and running a successful company.
There is startup capital, continued investment, sales, marketing, accounting … you can go crazy thinking about everything that’s involved in a good company. Of course, you also need to have a valuable product or service.
However, NO company can succeed without the right people behind it. You need a GREAT team to run a GREAT business.
While you can do everything to train the right people, starting at the hiring process will make things much easier. Here is how to ensure you hire the right people to begin with.
This might seem like obvious advice, but it all starts with competency. Does a prospective employee come with the ideal skill set? Many of us like to believe that everyone has the same amount of potential and that any trait can be taught. Maybe this is even true. If you hire someone who doesn’t come with the background you desire, though, you’ll only be making more work for yourself.
Nancy Matthews from the Women’s Prosperity Network has been an unbelievable alumni of my Big Table program … & a great partner in my worldwide team!
Part of this means compatibility. There’s a lot to be said for someone’s personality. Sometimes people have the degree and/or background you want, but simply aren’t good at taking direction, working well with others or accepting new challenges. Eventually, these people become more of a burden than a benefit.
You also want to make sure your new employee wholeheartedly accepts the salary and benefits you offer them. In this economy, it can be easy to think that anyone should be happy with what they get. Unfortunately, this attitude can lead to employees who underperform or are constantly on the lookout to jump ship.
Neither is going to help your company in the long run.
Most everyone lists references when they apply for a job, but how many companies actually check up on them? It’s important that you do so. Many times, references sign up for the job because they feel pressured to do so. This might mean they won’t actually endorse the candidate when you call them. Other times, the reference isn’t aware of the types of jobs for which their former employee or acquaintance is applying.
Either way, it’s worth your while to not just check up on references, but also drill them for honest answers. Tell them what your company does and the type of candidate you’re looking to hire. Then spend some time ascertaining whether or not the person you’re inquiring about is a match.
Hiring new people is easy if you don’t keep the above standards. Unfortunately, this is a great way to surround yourself with the wrong type of people. So consider the advice in this article to ensure you hire people who will help your company achieve its goals.
