4 tips to hire key employees in a small business

You have the vision; you also know precisely how to realize that vision; but do you have the right team with you to help you achieve your business goals? Are you looking for talented, trustworthy people who can actually drive the growth of your organization? Read on to get some hiring tips that will help you build a strong team that is self-motivated and loves to work and grow with your company.

1. Pitch preparation: build a strong hiring pitch for your company Usually small businesses don’t have much to offer in terms of fancy infrastructure and perks, but these are not the only factors that motivate talented people. You must sell your company’s positive points, in the same way you sell to your customers. If you feel that a person has the capability to work for your company, then try your best to share your vision and growth plans. The candidate should get excited about the new learning opportunities, leadership role, and freedom to work independently in your firm. There is no dearth of offers for a good candidate, so his or her decision would rely on your confidence and convincing powers.

2. Networking: leverage your existing network and build it continuously Networking is critical for sustained business growth. It’s all about building win-win relationships and making strong connections. Identify people in your current network and see if there are any who meet your requirements, and if possible try to convince by getting them as excited about your business plan as you are. If you do not have a wide network then start building one with the help of online business networking sites, trade shows, and industry events. Growing your network will help you in making lasting business partnerships, increasing your company’s brand awareness among the right people, getting more clients and referrals, and most importantly, hiring better employees.

Some good small business networking sites are www.ryze.com www.LinkedIn.com (Recommended) , www.konnects.com and www.gobignetwork.com. You may also visit: www.BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com to get some tips on how to grow your business network.

3. Candidate evaluation: look for flexible candidates who can lead In a start-up, you would require candidates who are willing to take-up multiple tasks or manage different roles with minimum assistance. People who have good research skills and can learn quickly are best-fit. Select people who like to work independently without much handholding. The person should enjoy working in a small but growing set-up.

Analyze your best people to understand what are the traits that they have, and while interviewing see if the new person has those too. If the team gets along well, the productivity would be much higher. For executives, it is very important that they have similar vision as that of the founder. Candidates with really good strengths for the job but a different vision will soon fall-out.

Do not hire your own clones. Understand the areas where you or your other team members lack and find a candidate with skills that complement those areas. The new person coming in should have something of value to offer to your team too – be it work-related or otherwise.

4. Offer and contract: signing a long-term agreement Remember that A-class founders only recruit A-class executives. If the candidate doesn’t fit the bill – DO NOT HIRE. In a start-up when you have only a handful of employees, you need to pick the initial team carefully; any fault can have a direct impact on growth. Make sure that you sign a long term contract with key people, especially if you run an Intellectual Property based business. The compensation should be competitive to keep the person in, and you can make it clear that there would be a lot of opportunities as the company grows.

If you build a team that is powerful and self-sustaining you can slowly give-up control over various activities and let your people handle tasks independently, while you can focus on expanding your business.



4 tips to hire key employees in a small business - To learn more about this author, visit Gourab Nanda's Website.

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