Running A Business

How to Hire Employees to Help Your Small Business Succeed

Mar 24, 2016 • 4 min read
how to hire employees
Table of Contents

      Timing is everything when determining to hire your first employees. Make sure your company is actually growing and in need of extra help, and you can move forward from there. Once you’ve carefully selected the candidates you find most qualified, gone through the interview process, and settle on who is going to be our new employee, you need to realize that you are now in charge of other people to help your company succeed.

      There are some concerns that can arise when first realizing that you need to hire someone. Attacking those concerns head-on, letting go of your fears and pushing forward will help your business increase in scope. But first thing’s first: give yourself a round of applause. There comes a point in running a new business where you either expand or stagnate—and with hard work (and a little bit of luck) your company has grown. But don’t celebrate too long—it’s time to get down to brass tacks. You are now the ‘boss’, and there are some keys to success once you’ve accepted that mantle.

      Relinquish Your Control

      One of the most important steps when hiring new employees is relinquishing control. Letting someone else take the reins of the everyday workload requires surrendering a little bit of that control and putting confidence in your new employee’s skill set. That requires trust. But as stated earlier, this business is your baby. You put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into creating this company. After building from the ground up, creating a brand and developing client relationships, how can you place trust in a new person you’ve just met? After you’ve interviewed the people you’ve found to be the best fit for the job you’re offering, you now need to decide who you trust most to do that work. Then, in the same way, you built your business, you build your trust. Give them a list of solid responsibilities, but avoid micromanaging; this leads to frustration for both you and your new employee. Trust that the person you’ve hired is going to follow your strategy.

      Remember: the main priority you need to focus on is the strategy of your business. Letting go of concerns and placing trust in your new employee will let you do that. You’ll have time to focus on the big picture when you are letting someone else run the daily work.Invest in Your Employees

      Invest in Your Employees

      Another concern that can cross your mind is the actual cost to hire more help. It doesn’t matter if you’re hiring full- or part-time, paying employees adds up quickly to your list of expenses—and it can feel daunting. However, the right mindset to have in this regard is this: Employees should be seen as an investment. They’re there to make you money. The more efficient your business operates, the easier it will be for you continue to expand.

      When you remember that your employees are there to increase your business and revenue, your mindset toward them changes. Taking time to invest in your employees will give them added incentive to work harder, and will make your job easier. So how can you invest in them? Offering benefits, praising their work during meetings and one-on-ones, taking the time to get to know and value them, and incentivizing for promotions are ways you can let them know they aren’t just around for a paycheck. When you invest in them, their return to you will be more motivation and a positive state of mind with the job they’re doing, and that will increase your retention rate.

      Employees don’t stick around forever, though, and when they do move on it’s important to let them in on your network. Connect and introduce your employees to people who can help them meet career goals. This will trickle down, and the employees who have moved on can give you names of colleagues they trust to help you when you’re needing more work.

      Invest in your employees as often as you can, and your business will thrive.

      Establish Your Brand

      You know your business better than anybody. The strategies you designed have obviously worked well enough that you have expanded to a point where hiring employees is necessary. You know how you want your company portrayed to the public and to your clients, and now might be a good time to get your brand strategy written down. Creating an employee handbook or list of brand guidelines is a great way to give your new hires something to reference when you are not there to give them direction. This handbook can have general rules for how you want the business to run—or how you want brands portrayed through you, via your employees, to potential clients. It can be used as a reference point in meetings, keeping it fresh in your employee’s minds when they are on the front line making your company money.

      Finally, remember that after all has been said and done, the most valuable employee that you have is you. You, more than anyone, want your company to be successful; and by following these keys to hiring employees—relinquishing control, establishing a brand, and investing in your staff—your business will triumph.

      About the author
      Lendio Editorial Team

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