With college out for the summer the pool of candidates you have to hire has more than likely grown. Whether you are looking for summer help or a new full time employee, there is never a better time to hire. That being said, hiring the right person can be the difference between a happy employee-employer relationship and one that creates more stress and turmoil for you and your other employees.
There are several steps to take into consideration when you are looking to hire a new employee. The most common mistake I see in the business industry is hiring someone simply to have a warm body to fill a position. While initially this may lighten the load on your schedule, a wrong hire may end up making more work for everyone. Having the right staff will ensure your business has the greatest chance of success!
If you are at a pivotal point, or have a pressing project, there are many consultants and outsourced services to consider. This will allow you time to find the right employee, or may provide an alternative solution as you grow your business.
As a business owner, keeping the right staff on payroll is an ongoing process, and one that you should never stop. Even when you are fully staffed there are steps you can take to help reduce the time it would require to replace an employee should someone leave or not be a good fit with your company’s culture.
The first step is to always be interviewing. Ideally a company will get the perfect team of employees and no one will ever leave. That however rarely happens. Even if you have dedicated employees, as a business owner, you need to have a plan on how to prepare for growth. If you overload that perfect team you will, in most cases, see the work start to suffer. Or even worse they may look for other employment with a less stressful environment. For these reasons, it is always important to have your hand in the talent pool knowing who and what skillsets are out there.
Having a candidate, or a few candidates in mind if the need arises for growth or replacement will help to reduce the stress on your team. If your team is going gangbusters and have reached their capacity, you may also want to consider adding new positions to fulfill different functions. Consultants and outsourced services are a great way to bridge the gap when you’re not quite to the tipping point.
Some business owners may feel that once they hire someone they are stuck with them. If you hire a candidate and have a gut feeling they aren’t going to work out, cut your losses during the first 60-90 days. That’s why many companies have a probationary period. Begin searching for their replacement and be prepared to make a move once all the pieces are in place. As you begin the process of interviewing, be sure to give yourself the time needed to properly interview and find the “right fit.” An HR consultant can help screen and narrow down potential candidates based on the position’s qualifications, thus saving a business owner time and money.
It is becoming a common practice, and a good one I might add, to have your top candidates meet with the team that they will be working with. Keep in mind that they are the ones that will have to get along with your new employee. If you like the candidate and your team doesn’t, your business could suffer and your perfectly functioning team can become that of conflict and strife.
Now that college is out, it’s the perfect time to knock the rust off your interviewing skills and look through the pool of possible candidates. Take your time, vet the possible candidates and be sure you find the right person who will complement your current workforce. If you’re not quite ready to bring on an employee or need an experienced senior level staff person on a part time basis, consider hiring a consultant.
About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business growth.