As a business owner, you need about 3 brains and 10 extra hands to get anything done around here.
Between logistics, human resources, and clients, you’re always in need of an extra plate. You understand the value of your time and dime. And because of that, having a team you can rely on is everything.
Staff retention of quality employees is one of the most important aspects of your business.
A good team is valuable. A great team is a game-changer. When you’re hiring employees, it’s important to consider the big picture of your business’s needs.
The hiring process doesn’t have to be grueling. And when you find employees that are worth the investment, the onboarding process can change entirely.
In the long run, the type of staff you hire depends on you. Between the types of hiring support you have and your will to find that star employee, knowing the play-by-play can help grease the squeaky wheel.
Test the Waters
When you’re ready to hire new staff, dip your toe in and read the local temperature.
When you’re buying a new home, best practices exist for a reason. The seasoned seeker will survey the market and see what surrounding neighborhoods are going for.
Much like the home buying process, it’s important to look up and gather data from your neighboring businesses. Check-in with what the community economy is doing. These small, intentional tasks can offer you insight into salary ranges for similar roles.
Get an idea of businesses that have similar models. This will foster observation of what skills are needed and what the job qualifications look like for similar roles. The more context you have, the better.
What are you offering your prospective hires that they’re not?
When you identify what sets your business apart from the regular Joe, people gravitate. A tiered employee is only as good as the leadership before them.
Remember what it feels like to see a resume that stands out from the others? You can feel it in your gut. Emulate that for your business. Opt to highlight the things your company does that you are prideful of.
That type of confidence is contagious. So when you’re mid-interview with a proud handle on your delivery, your prospective staff member will be feeling that right there with you.
Spill the Nitty Gritty
In the last 17 years, the amount of professionals searching for jobs online has doubled.
Of course, classifieds are a thing of the distant past. And phone calls with recruiters are on their way to job them. With a few clicks and an easy follow-up, who could blame them?
There are endless options for online networking, and career-focused people tend to gravitate toward clicking an enticing job post title. Just like the introduction to an interesting book. It’s that first little crumb that will hook, line, and sink them.
When you’re writing the perfect job posting, there are a few main points to keep in mind. What will the person with the most transferrable skills provide? When describing their role, be clear and concise in your outline.
Outline being the keyword here. You’ve been there yourself; a job posting that feels like an endless scroll of logistics and minute data that you wouldn’t find relevant unless you actually worked at that business.
Of course, details are crucial. Smart individuals on the job hunt can sense the legitimacy of an organization by the simple act of language choice, format, and tone of a job post.
The way you choose to lay out the details of the role needing to be filled will echo through the entire process. And it makes all the difference in whether your post sinks or swims.
Before submitting your job post, remember that you’re looking for qualified professionals. A top-tier future employee will be searching for those same markers in an employer.
Emulate the future staff you hope to hire.
Honor Your Time
One of the most challenging parts of the new hire search is time.
If we could bottle time and sell it, people would bid a scary amount of money for it. It glitters, it’s gold, and if only it could be sold.
Time is arguably the most valuable piece of your business. 15 minutes can mean the difference between meeting a deadline, getting to your kid’s trumpet solo on time, and a myriad of other vital pieces of your life.
When you’re compiling job prospects, it’s important to set up an interview process that supports the type of person you’re searching for. Honoring your time means being realistic about how much of it you have to dedicate to this process.
There are a few ways to go about it. Each path is done with intention, so make sure you’re ready to commit. You can start the interview process by scheduling a 15-minute phone screen to get some preliminary questions out of the way.
Asking about a person’s professional story or sharing a little bit about themselves is a great way to break the ice. It also creates space to see if some of your business’s needs align with this person’s skills and work history.
If the phone screen is a green light, it’s on to the next step. If you can already tell by a 15-minute conversation that this person is not the right fit, then there’s no need to schedule an hour-long zoom call with them.
These small benchmarks that you instill will help your wallet, ease your headaches and make the onboarding process a little easier in the grand scheme.
Interviewing and Hiring Employees
Trusting the process is arguably one of the more difficult parts of being human.
We throw this phrase around for every rollercoaster experience in our lives. In truth, the breakdown of a challenging circumstance is typically the same. If you do your best and give it time, the subject at hand will come to fruition.
Of course, it’s not a walk in the park. Sometimes the process calls for external resources and thinking outside of the box that the box came in.
In this case, we’re talking interviews. It takes time to get to know someone during an interview. There’s a lot to take in at that initial meeting.
Knowing core questions to ask can make the difference between hiring a qualified employee or hiring a wild card. Sit down with an intentional guideline that you’d like to follow. And while you’re at it, come up with some unexpected questions that really gauge your interviewee’s self-awareness.
Instead of asking your interviewee about “a time you had to think quick on your feet”, consider a more pragmatic approach. Ask questions like, “how can your team support you?” and “what kind of work style makes you passionate?”.
The interview process is about slowing down and reflecting on your business needs and a prospect’s skill set. It’s okay for people to lack a master’s degree but has 10 years of experience in a transferrable skill.
Being open-minded, honest, and forward during the interview process is refreshing for all parties.
Accessibility
We are living in the work from the home era.
Remote work is enticing. It trends alongside reduced stress levels. And during a time where mental health and wellness are a priority, it’s not a bad practice to adopt.
We know this because who doesn’t love the idea of clocking in in their pajamas?
And if you’re someone who needs a little more structure, at least spending the day at home with your dog grants you some flexibility that cannot be bought.
Providing a work-from-home or hybrid option is appealing to future employees.
Not only have we challenged the traditional working model over the last 15 months, but we’ve also discovered just how much more productive employees become when given independence.
The data speaks for itself. Folks who work from home are more motivated to perform, to show up, and to take pride in the trust and confidence instilled by their supervision team.
A meaningful workforce engagement begins and ends with the amenities and benefits associated with an employee’s role. When you’re baiting qualified professionals, knowing your audience means instilling progressive practices throughout the organization.
It’s an unpredictable job climate out there these days. Qualified employees are searching for you just as hard as you’re searching for them.
When it comes to hiring people, a smooth orientation and onboarding process will set the tone for your staff’s future with the company. A memorable hiring process goes a long way through word of mouth.
Progressive Programs
Whether you’re in the midst of a business-wide overhaul or you’re fine-tuning your best practices, don’t turn your back on company evolution.
As times shift, more qualified job prospects are giving the right feedback to accommodate a sustainable, enjoyable team and working environment.
Progressive programs for staff can incentivize productivity, boost morale and offer better insight into what really makes your team tick. An employee referral program is a great example.
With referral programs, your current employees have a chance to connect you to a former colleague. And if you’ve hired one grade A professional, chances are they are surrounded by like-minded individuals.
Another best practice that many organizations are using today is having peers involved in the interview process. This can be crucial for an operations transition or even an entry-level role.
A peer employee has ground floor data that is sometimes easy to miss from the big picture. Involving peers in the interview process can help explain the small details of the day-to-day. It also gives you another perspective to consider throughout the search for a qualified individual.
These are just some of the endless strategies to offer more benefits and engagement to your team.
Industry Hangs
Ok, the word “mixer” feels very 90’s to use, but what else do you call an industry-related hang-out session?
We’re talking about the courtyard meetup, off-the-clock conversation. When people show up to these events, it’s because they have a vested interest in their field.
This type of community collaboration goes beyond conferences and workshops. It’s an intrinsic drive to connect with other individuals and the work you love.
You’ll find the most eager, determined career junkies at these meet-ups. And considering going to one yourself might give you some insight into the competitive nature of the field.
Everything is shifting. Industry of all kinds is experiencing a renaissance of sorts. It is a time of transformation.
To show up for that conversation with colleagues and sister companies is a professional move. This is where the magic happens. Analytics, advancement opportunities, and organic exchanges about the direction your field is heading.
If you’re waiting for the chance to find a diamond in the rough, put yourself in the rough. Let the diamonds convene around you. Non-hiring specific events encourage folks to be themselves within a professional setting.
These intentional meet-ups can foster the million-dollar idea that can set your company apart from the rest. And really, in the long run, that’s the whole point of looking for the stars in your field.
Don’t Overlook Your Resources
Make your application and hiring process as virtual-friendly as possible when hiring employees. This small adjustment offers high-quality, qualified individuals the preferred method of the interviewing and onboarding process.
There are qualified people in the world looking to show you their skills and then some. Your business can mirror the exact candidate you’re looking for if you utilize the right resources.
If you’re interested in learning more, check out WorkBright.com for more tips on how to incorporate a smooth hiring process.
