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.
--Kmurray
SBA.gov
