Are You Ready To Hire For Your Small Business?
/Hiring an employee or independent contractor is a a big decision. Over my entrepreneurial career, I’ve experienced a lot of misses and some successes in this area. I’m learning that the hiring process is an art and a science. It’s a combination of being able to financially handle the additional costs, knowing where you need help, being able to clearly articulate those needs and then finding someone who has those skills and also has similar values. Last but not least, they have to believe in your business. Even if they are an independent contractor running their own business, I believe they need to recognize the value of your company and be in alignment with its mission.
If you are thinking about expanding your team, here are some steps to help with the process.
Are you financially ready to hire someone?
First, ask yourself these five questions to help decide if now is the right time to hire.
Has your business earned a profit each month for the past six months?
Are there tasks that are draining your energy and taking you away from what you do best?
Review your revenue goals for 2020. If your business reaches this goal, would you be stressed trying to manage the workload?
Will this position support the growth of your business and/or allow for personal freedom?
Have you been contemplating this decision for more than six months?
If you answered "yes" to four or five of those questions, then hiring someone may be the right decision for you at this time.
As much as I teach about business, I am also a student. Linda Calhoun, Executive Director of Career Girls, has taught me so much about building a strong community around you.
How do you find the right person?
Once you are ready to hire, now you have to find the person. Many business owners will say that this is a tough process. I have also found it to be challenging to find contractors that are the best fit for what I need.
For me, the first step is to be clear on what I need. With that stated, sometimes what I need is revealed to me after I’ve gone through a few hiring errors. Therefore, be gentle with yourself during this process. Allow yourself the space to grow and adjust as you navigate this murky area.
Here are some ideas on where to find your next hire:
Referrals from friends or other business owners
Craigslist
Networking events such as meetup.com
Job listings in newsletters such as Money & Mimosas (email hello at moneyandmimsosas dot com with the info), Create and Cultivate or Girlboss.
Social media posting on your business and/or personal channels
Interview process
While the interview process is a great way to vet a potential hire, you will not know if you made a good decision until three or six months after you hire the individual. However, there are steps you can take during the interview process to hedge your bets.
One step I take that has worked out well is to include a small project for the interviewees to complete as a part of the process. This project can be completed within a week’s time and is not labor intensive because it is important to respect their time, as well. This project is a small reflection of the work they will do in the role.
The project allows me to see how well they can work on their own, manage time, ask questions to clarify expectations and their ability to come up with unique, creative ideas. It also goes without saying that it helps me see how well they can perform the functions of the job.
Once you hire them
Once you hire them, now the real work begins. The work of getting to know them as a person and understanding what motivates them to deliver their best work.
My first session with a new hire is a get to know you call where I learn their expectations of me and how they feel best supported. Once we complete the call, I send them an email with all of the HR related stuff (W-9 form, contract) and a link to the 16 Personalities Quiz. This quiz provides an in-depth insight into who they are as a person and what they need to feel seen and supported.
Then, to kick off our work together, we usually go back to the project they completed during the hiring process and expand on it. This way they achieve an easy win in the beginning because they know they’ve already done a great job with the project that got them the job opportunity.
About Money & Mimosas: Money & Mimosas was started as a passion project by Danetha. A former NFL cheerleader turned entrepreneur, she started blogging as a way to combine all of her passions into a career. Money & Mimosas is now enjoyed by readers in over fifty countries with the same dream of achieving financial freedom without living frugally.
