Did you know that most entrepreneurs will settle on the first couple of interviewees who express genuine interest in the company and job because they want to get the business off the ground?
If you don’t want to fall into this commonly made mistake, you must remember five things when looking at people to hire for your new business:
1.Look For Qualified Employees
It’s imperative that you hire people who have the knowledge and skills that your business needs. Many times entrepreneurs will hire the not-so-qualified interviewee because they claim they can learn the job quickly. This enthusiasm works better for bigger companies because they have the resources to help train that person. However, startup companies do not have this kind of budget and should never hire unqualified persons for a job.
When employees get asked to do something they have yet to do, mistakes are likely to occur, costing your business both time and money. Don’t go for the newbies; go for employees who are trained and experienced.
2. Employ Those With Relevant Experience
When you look at the people who have sent in a resume or filled out an application, don’t just look at the number of years they’ve done something. You also want to look at their work accomplishments. You should also look at their work environment when determining relevant experience. Look at work histories of these prospective employees to weed out the bad from the good and go from there.
3. Employ The Aggressors
You want your business to succeed so be sure you hire only those employees who have the same drive and ambition as you. You want employees who hate the idea of losing customers to your competitors, who love competitive challenges, and who are extremely motivated to meet and exceed all work goals.
While you interview these folks, ask them about their interests and any under-pressure achievements. If any prospective employee doesn’t like a fast-paced competition, they’re probably not going to be happy with your business.
4. Employ Perseverance
You want to hire people who are adaptable to shifts in priorities, and don’t become discouraged when they experience setbacks. Be sure you ask prospective job applicants about how they dealt with disappointments in their life, especially in their career. Spend time with their previous employers to learn more about the employee and how they handle frustration. You want people who can solve problems, not make them.
5. Probation
It may seem silly to hire a person for a probationary period but it really does help to learn about your employee and how they’ll handle their duties. If you find someone isn’t a match for your company but you don’t want to let them go, have a talk with them and tell them how they can improve. One way to test prospective employees out is to give them a single task they alone must do. How do they handle it?
One more thing: Have yourself a list of job criteria prospective job applicants should match. If someone applying for the position doesn’t match the top three you find important, move on until you find a resume – offline or online – that does match them.
