02.01.23
Grow your Business by Hiring the Right People
Leslee Hill, Director, WEOC Women's Business Center at NIIC
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels
A business built around passion is one of the best businesses. When you love what you do, people see the heart behind a product or service and believe in what you’re offering. Whether you have just launched your business or have reached a season of expansion, you need to seek those who will fan your flames even more.
There are numerous growth avenues, but being surrounded by the right people is a solid path that can determine how high you can go. This doesn’t only mean finding individuals who will motivate and pick us up when we hit our lows—we need employees with admirable skill sets, strong work ethics, and contagious passion.
Hiring the right people is an investment that may offer significant returns and advantages.
- Minimized Stress Levels—Growth is much more difficult when only one person is working on moving things forward. When you hire support staff, they can help you handle the nitty-gritty of everyday responsibilities so that you can focus on the bigger picture.
- Service/Product Expansion—Having more time to scale your operations paves the way for the expansion or improvement of your product or service line so you can earn more revenue.
- Better Customer Service—With more employees, you’ll be well-equipped to entertain and build relationships with more customers.
But how do you determine if someone is “the one?”
Consider the Person Who Has Multiple Skills—When you’re just starting your businesses, my tip is to hire generalists or jacks of all trades—meaning those who can wear different hats and provide a flexible skillset to cater to a shifting business environment.
Take inspiration: 46 Graphics, a graphic design company for homes and businesses based in Churubusco, Indiana, increased their bottom line by 300% by hiring a front desk person who also helps follow up on open invoices, asks for referrals to increase sales, and functions as a CPA or bookkeeper.
Don’t Settle for Someone Who’s Only in for the Paycheck—Often, an apathetic employee doesn’t work beyond the minimal work required and may not even need your business needs because of a lack of passion. Find someone who will catch your vision and inspire them to give their 100% effort.
Look Beyond the Resumé—A candidate may look like the Ideal candidate on paper. Yet, sometimes that person may not be the best fit. It is essential to create a structured interview process to vet suitable candidates. Asking about a candidate’s ambitions, interests, and priorities is vital to know their values. Remember to take the time to do reference checks as well.
Once you’ve spotted the right people, do onboarding and training to ensure that the company’s mission, vision, and processes are clear with them and that they are ready to hit the ground running.
Are you overwhelmed with the next steps you need to take to establish or advance your business? You don’t have to go through this alone. Join the WEOC Women’s Business Center at the NIIC community today.
