Hiring Tips for the Small Business Owner
Your goal as a small business owner is growth, but with growth comes more responsibilities and more work. You may already juggle being the boss, accountant, office manager, maybe even janitor, but at some point, you realize you can’t do it all. Finding a new team member can be a daunting task, and 42% of small business owners say hiring new employees is their biggest challenge for 2015.
Here are a few resources to make the employment process more manageable and effective for your small business:
Clarify your needs for the position
Don’t say, “I need help,” but rather determine exactly what kind of help you need. In the recent SCORE webinar “Hiring the Right Employee,” Tricia McLaurin, a senior human resources representative with Paychex, explains the importance of defining the job duties and company’s needs. She says writing a clear, detailed job description with tasks outlined and skills identified will help you find the ideal employee. And make sure you are aware of compliance under state and federal law such as the Fair Labor Standards Act. Check out the webinar to learn more about:
- Writing a job description
- Critically reviewing a résumé
- Implementing compliant interviewing procedures
- Conducting background screening
- Verifying I-9 documents
Recruiting potential candidates
Once you are satisfied with the job description, the next challenge is finding suitable applicants. Today, advertising in traditional media or online job boards may not be enough. Social media has become a boon in the recruitment stage. This month’s SCORE infographic, “Human Resources: What’s Working When It Comes to Workers” illustrates the benefits of advertising job openings through social media:
- 94% of recruiters use or plan to use social media for recruiting.
- 73% of millenials found their last job through social media.
- Employers who used social media to hire found a 49% improvement in candidate quality over candidates sourced only through traditional recruiting channels.
Check out the full infographic for all the statistics on how small businesses are facing challenges and achieving success as employers.
Selecting the best employee
At this stage of the game, it’s important to be thorough; the Department of Labor estimates bad hires and employee turnover can cost a company 30% of its yearly earnings. Rocket Lawyer’s eGuide to Small Business Hiring details the next steps in the selection process and will teach you more about fair practices requirements, such as avoiding discriminatory questions in the interview.
After perusing job applications and resumes, whittle your choices down to the top candidates. And when the interviews lead to promising results, reference checks can help determine someone’s personality and work ethic.
Examining all the factors, you finally pick the ideal person for the job and your company’s future. You make a job offer, and all parties are satisfied with the employment arrangements. Congratulations, you hired a new employee!
Building a successful, supportive team is a difficult challenge, and SCORE mentors are always available with free, sound advice from their own experiences.
