Do you remember having growing pains when you were a child? I can remember waking up in the middle of the night because my legs were hurting. My dad would come into my room and assure me I would be okay and that it was only growing pains. Well, your business experiences the same type of thing as it grows. With each new level, there is the growing pain of having too much work for yourself or the current staff to handle alone. The pain of long hours and overflowing to-do lists indicates that it’s time to work on finding new talent to support your growth.
It can be a struggle to find the right person to hire, whether it’s your first hire or you already have a large staff in place, and 2022 brings additional challenges to the hiring process. But, just like my dad used to assure me that I would be okay, SPEARity wants to provide you with a few tips to help you be okay as you shift your focus to talent acquisition.
1. Consider all hiring solutions
Bringing in help for your business can take on several different forms. You may need to hire a full-time person to join your team. You may only need a few hours completed of work each week. Or, you may be struggling due to a specific project, and you only need help until it’s over.
Before you rush into hiring someone, consider your needs. It’s much easier to hire someone for a few hours and increase them over time than to hire someone full-time and then realize you need to cut their hours back. Take your time to consider the true needs you have right now and what the future looks like for that position.
Depending on what you need assistance with, you may be able to collaborate with another business to meet your needs. It may be better to outsource part of your process than to bring someone onto the payroll. Consider all your options and run the numbers before making a decision.
2. Write out your company’s mission and values
When bringing new employees into the mix, you want to ensure their values align with the organization. This will help avoid frustration for both parties down the road. Employees are also becoming more mindful of wanting to work for companies that have values that align with their personal values. This provides a win-win solution for both sides. The clearer you are in this area, the more helpful it will be as you start to conduct interviews.
3. Don’t get too caught up in past job experience
One of the results of the Great Reshuffle/Great Resignation is that talented individuals are looking to pivot their careers. This means they may not have prior experience working in your industry, but it doesn’t mean they won’t be the right fit for your position. Look at the skills they have developed in their past work experience to see how they can translate to the position you’re hiring for. Ask them questions in this area and allow them to make their case for why they can become the right fit for your organization.
4. Tap into your network, including current employees
You may have the right person in your organization in the wrong position. As you have new positions open, allow your current staff to consider the opportunity. You may discover that you have someone with incredible potential sitting at the wrong desk. Allow them the chance to pursue new opportunities and growth within your company.
You can also ask your network and current employees if they know of anyone who may be interested in the position. People tend to be cautious when recommending individuals because it reflects back on them. This can be a good way to gain insight into potential hires.
5. Be forward-thinking
The best way to avoid struggling with growing pains is to take a proactive approach. Spend time regularly planning, setting goals, and evaluating your company’s status. This allows you to see when growth is on the horizon so you can begin the process early. It’s a lot easier to make the right hire when you aren’t trying to rush the decision. This also helps you avoid making small compromises that may lead to big problems down the road.
Set your business up for success
One of the best ways to make the right hire is to have a plan for your business, have systems in place, and understand the ins and outs of the numbers. But this can be overwhelming for small business owners trying to wear multiple hats. That’s where working with a business coach can help. You can proactively address the different areas of your business to help alleviate the growing pains that are around the corner. If you are interested in executive coaching or joining small business group coaching, contact us today to learn more.
