Hiring and induction of employees for your small business: what is possible and what is not possible when attracting valuable specialists (part 2)

In the last part, we started talking about what should and can be done by hiring a new team member in a small company. In the continuation of the article we will touch on a few more important points that we should not forget. and also highlight a few things that should not be allowed in the process of hiring and the introduction of a new employee in the position.

So, what else needs to be done:

Consider the second (and third) opinion

Even if you have a one-man show and it seems to you that you are simply hiring a virtual assistant who will rake your letters, this decision may affect your business for better or worse.
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When your business is small, the stakes are high and, since you are limited to your sole and exceptional point of view, it would be nice to have someone you trust so that he can talk to your candidates.

If you already have a reliable team, make sure everyone talks to your candidate so that everyone can approve it. If you are an individual entrepreneur, leave it to a close friend or colleague, and organize a conversation to get another opinion.

Entrepreneur: before you hire a new employee, ask the opinion of a friend or fellow entrepreneur.

Make a plan for your employee for 30, 60, 90 days with several main control points.

This stage may look threatening or seem like a waste of time, but it is not. All you need to do is to come up with several control points that your worker or contractor must reach in a certain time.

If he can complete the stage earlier, it will indicate that your new employee understands that this is a success, and this is extremely important when working with designers and developers. If everything is coordinated together, what tasks can be performed at what points, the chances of misunderstanding in the team are reduced to a minimum.

Build a management system for your team.

The Fizzle team uses an internal set of tools, processes and guidelines to ensure that the whole team is looking in the right direction.

For a beginner, your control system can act as a cheat sheet or an express course, summarizing how to work properly with you. It is incredibly useful to see all the important events, core values ​​and a description of the main tools used by the team that hired you, gathered in one place.

Put your new employee at the “table for adults”

So, you managed to hire a highly efficient worker who brings new experience and potential to your sandbox. Congratulations!
Do not forget that if your new team member belongs to an already existing small team, he may feel as if he was seated at a children's table at a dinner in honor of Thanksgiving.

To put your new employee at the “table for adults” means to make him feel that his opinion is important to you, and that he is an important member of your team. If you are deliberately looking for opportunities to show your employee that his point of view matters, the chances that he will quickly join the team take off at cosmic speed.

The guys from Fizzle did a lot in this area when I got into their team. Despite the fact that it was easy for them (and even naturally) to keep me slightly at a distance while I was on probation, I had the feeling that I had been given the keys to the control panel from the very beginning. Such a noticeable level of trust and intentions confirmed my suspicion that I made the right decision by joining their ranks.

Stay open to feedback and leave room for growth as an organization.

Remember, with what delight you took a fresh perspective when you took a person to work? What seemed delightful at the interview can take a new turn if your new employee understands that your business is ineffective.

Do not be afraid to get out of your shell and listen to your newcomers, not forgetting what they say from the point of view of a valuable outsider.

What you should not do:

Do not ignore the interview (and yes, it must be personal)

Even if this is a short-term job for one project, you need to work on the communication style to make sure that you can rely on a new employee.

Simply put, there are too many places behind which you can hide in a portfolio or resume, and nothing replaces live communication.
If you hire a remote worker, invite him to a video interview on Skype, and then you can use body language and simulate a live interview.

Do not try to use boring and meaningless interview questions.

If you ask the candidates what tree they would like to become, if you had a choice, it is unlikely to show you whether they can become a new star in your team. Instead, put them in front of real life situations that they face in their work, and see how they react to them.

For example, when I was interviewed at Fizzle, I showed how I would respond to standard emails and user complaints in order to demonstrate my ability to treat our members with care.

Examining how your candidate will react situationally is much more important than magic questions designed to sift people off.
“How many sculptures will fit into the school bus?” Is not a very good interview question, and other hiring tips for entrepreneurs.

Do not be influenced by the first impression.

Although you shouldn’t underestimate how important it is to choose a person that matches the spirit of your small team, your interview may turn into a contest “with whom I would like to drink beer” if you treat him carelessly.

Instead, treat your own opinion with skepticism and convince yourself that you need to find the person that you enjoy most. Force yourself not to deviate from the key qualities that you have identified for yourself earlier, and to check whether your candidate passes with a bang (and of course, can you have a beer with him).

Do not make concessions

When you urgently need someone to find, because you are drowning in the mountains of letters, you might think that the best employee is a quickly hired employee.

If someone meets your standards by 75%, perhaps that person can learn everything else — or so it seems to you. If this were true, it would make life easier, but in real life, if you round up the abilities of an employee, a virtual assistant, a designer or developer, hoping that they are “good enough”, this can be a serious mistake for you.

Sometimes a person needed for work does not appear immediately, and if you wait a bit and continue your search, you will definitely find what you need.

Do not forget the praise and the difficult moments

Since you did an excellent job of having an interview, your chances of getting a new member of the team or contractor you delighted with have increased significantly.

You feel delighted, and this is wonderful, but do not forget to share your opinion. Plus, since no one is perfect (yes, even Beyoncé), sooner or later you will have the opportunity to change direction.

Do not expect that your new employee “probably knows that he is doing great” - because, probably, he does not know, and you should be honest with him.

Do not neglect the little things

Since you have been working in this business for months or years, you will quickly become acclimatized to the ups and downs of your company. Despite the fact that you are accustomed to go with the flow, your new employee is still only forming his first impression.

The first days are the time when valuable specialists decide whether they did the right thing by coming to you, so do not neglect things that seem insignificant, for example, set up a new email address in time. This may seem like a small omission to you, and it may seem to your new employee that you are not in control of the situation.

Do not forget that this is an important matter.

Although it will seem to you that for your new team, the first few weeks and months will go “as usual”, it’s quite easy to lose sight of the fact that it’s a very important thing for a newcomer.

It is normal and even expected that the new employee will sometimes feel as if he was thrown out in the middle of the jungle, even if your team is great (as in my case).

Regardless of whether you hire a team member for a full day or a person for one project, the whole process will combine in itself enthusiasm and fear. However, a bit of strategic planning and more understanding - and you will be able to attract candidates and make your new employee happy that he has become a member of your team.

Hiring your first and subsequent employee as an entrepreneur is important. Make sure you understand this.