If the new year could mean new hires for your small business, there’s a lot to think about. Here’s some insight to consider from experts interviewed for SBA’s Learning Center Series, “Strategies for Growth.” They’ve shared some lessons they’ve learned that can help you develop a plan for expanding your team.
Short and sweet job descriptions
Casey Wilson, Retail Industry Manager, Maryland Small Business Development Center, asserts the importance of a clear, well written job description: “The position needs to be well defined in how it will contribute to the business’s growth and success. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but direct and to the point with the main responsibilities for the person.”
Communicate your vision and mission
Wilson also stresses the important of being able to clearly communicate your company’s vision statement – and mission statement, which is how you’ll accomplish that vision. Be able to “explain your reason for being” in a 30-second elevator pitch in an interview.
By clearly communicating “who” your company is and how you accomplish your goals, you’ll have a better idea during the interview process if a potential hire will be a good fit in contributing to your business’s success.
Incentivize current employees
Your current employees may be a great resource for new hires. Some business owners, like Jeanna Sellmeyer of ASSET Group, Inc., offer cash incentives to employees who refer qualified candidates. If those candidates become part of the team and stick around for a certain amount of time – usually a year – that referring employee gets a little something extra in the next payroll.
Your employees can help bring in talent on par with your standards; after all, they don’t want to compromise their own jobs. Making it financially work their while to help grow the company can help keep your employees motivated and give you confidence that you’ll have promising prospects.
Clients can help
Mary Tappouni of Breaking Ground Contracting has said that clients can be a great source of advice on personnel decisions. Customers that her company has had for years have become friends, and she values how they can look at potential hires not only as someone who might be a good fit for the company, but also as someone they’d want to do business with.
It’s important that as the company grows, Tappouni says, clients feel comfortable that the people you’re hiring will take care of them with the same level of quality that’s always existed in the business relationship.
So, involve some of these trusted clients in the interview process and gather feedback as you move forward with making a decision.
