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Most people would agree that the most important asset of any company is its employees. Therefore, it comes as no surprise just how important it is to hire the right people in the first place. Not only do your employees make your business go round, they are also what gives it identity, and you have to make sure they fit your company culture. You need to put a lot of time and effort into your recruitment strategy in order not to make a mistake here – a mistake that can be rather expensive to fix if it is possible to fix at all. Thankfully, you can avoid all this if you invest in hiring the right people – the importance of which is discussed further below.
Take your time
Considering that probably a small business is in question, it is important to take it slow at first. Hiring the first people that you come across (such as acquaintances who might not even have the suitable qualifications) is a bad decision. For long-term success, you have to build a strong base and choose each of your team members with care. Also, if your startup is still in its beginning phase and your budget can’t handle too many employees right away, steer clear from over-employing as it will just lead to struggling. On the other hand, having a few people do all the work and work overtime is a sure way to burnout. Thankfully, solutions such as outsourcing and staff leasing are at your disposal to overcome this tricky situation. It’s better to have just a few but valuable employees at first.
Qualifications vs. potential
When considering the possible applicants, the most important aspect to take into account is their qualifications, right? Well, that is only a part of the story. While it is desirable that the person has the exact qualifications you are looking for, what is more important is their potential and growth-mindset. When interviewing a candidate, make sure you tap into topics such as their ambitions and interests profession-wise as well. For some positions, their skills and qualities outside of their qualifications will be more important, while for others, professional knowledge beats things like social skills. It’s up to you to evaluate what the priority is in each case. Training employees to do something they are not knowledgeable in is costly, but replacing employees is even costlier and more problematic, so make sure you invest enough effort to avoid both.
A diverse talent pool
Too many people ignore the massive potential a diverse workforce can have. People of different walks of life have different personalities and skillsets, and for an ambitious startup that looks to stand out in the oversaturated market, employees who can think outside the box can make or break the deal. So, consciously tapping into various talent pools will not only make your workforce diverse and colorful but it will also help you create a motivated work collective that will feel more like a community that sends a strong message than just a bunch of employees in one place. Thanks to the internet, today you have plenty of opportunities to diversify your workforce. Looking into the NDIS registration process can, for example, take you a step closer to employing people with disabilities who can become a valuable part of your workforce. You can also consider employing remote workers from different countries by which you culturally enrich your company’s assets. This is even more important if you look to break into the international market. All in all, you might just find the perfect person for a position where you least expect it.
Fit in and prosper
Nevertheless, if you are to build a company with its own color and identity, company culture is another thing that will play a hugely important role in the recruitment process. In fact, according to Forbes, 87% of leaders admit that their most successful hires were when the cultural fit was evaluated. Today, customers expect brands to stand for something, and you can’t really do that authentically if your own employees don’t believe in what they do. So, make sure you determine what beliefs and values you want your company to stand for and make sure that your potential employees share your views in that matter, even if it means they will have some polishing to do in other areas of their skills.
In the end, what you need to understand is that while a lot will depend on hiring just the right people for the job, it is also up to you to nurture the company culture and the working collective further in the right direction. Motivated people can become unmotivated if rigid boundaries inhibit their creative processes, and you do not want to lose a precious talented individual. Make sure you know your employees and their strengths and you will have no problem fine-tuning your work collective to be like a well-oiled machine that only works better and better with each carefully chosen addition.