Image Credit: SylviaBrowder.com
If you are an entrepreneur or you own a new start-up business, chances are you have little experience finding employees. As your business begins to grow, you’ll definitely need help, but you don’t want to waste precious time and resources on hiring the wrong person. Here are some important things to consider when you’re ready to hire your first employee.
What Job Skills are Needed?
When you are ready to hire someone, it’s important to have a well-defined job description. It can be difficult to fill a position if you aren’t clear about what you need. Of course, chances are, your first employee will need to wear many hats; but, it’s still a good practice to have a clear idea of the basic duties you’ll need covered. An office and administrative staffing specialist from Search Group Partners says finding an organized and reliable employee is essential to building an efficient, functional workplace. Make sure your candidates can provide this reliability in addition to the skills you’ll need to build your business.
Consider What Type of Candidate Would be the Best Fit
A small business can be a great environment for the right candidate; however, someone with a great deal of experience might be over-qualified for a start-up position. They might be looking for opportunities and advancements that your company is not ready to provide.
Use Your Network
As an entrepreneur, you probably have a large network of contacts that you can use to help you find an employee that will fit well with your company. Let everyone in your network know that you are looking to hire and be sure to tell them what type of position you want to fill. Contact customers, suppliers and everyone you deal with as part of your business. The more you get the word out, the greater your chances are of finding the right employee.
Look in Your Niche for the Ideal Employee
Most businesses keep up-to-date with things going on in their niche by engaging in online forums. Today, there are forums for just about everything. Some online forums will even allow you to post a help wanted advertisement. This can be a great way to find an employee familiar with your particular field.
It’s important to make sure that you choose the right employee for the job. If you hire someone who only sticks around for a couple of months, you’ll be right back looking for a replacement. You’ll lose valuable time retraining a new employee and this time takes away from the things you should be doing to grow your business.
Emma Sturgis is a freelance writer living in Boston. She writes on a variety of things, most often real estate and education. When not writing, she enjoys reading, rock climbing, and film noir. Twitter: @emmasturgis2
