Finding good employees

     Free daily advice for people in small business
     from someone who has been there, done that.

     Adding a new employee is an important step in any small business. You need someone who can handle specific tasks you have in mind. Just as important, you are looking for someone who will contribute to the future growth of the business.

     This means that you must look beyond the person's experience. These days, it can be hard to find people who can read and write, much less get to work on time every day and do the job at hand.

     Beyond these minimums, you want to look for a particular type of person. You want one who is inquisitive and learns easily, one who is comfortable in his/her own skin, one who knows how to think through things, one who tackles new projects with enthusiasm, one who accepts your direction and runs with it, and one who respects others and gets along well with them.

     These attributes don't appear on resumes--unless you read between the lines. But these are the qualities that will help you grow your business.

     In my experience, prospective employees can best be found by talking with your present employees. Good employees tend to know other like-minded people. Encourage them to put the word out among their friends and acquaintances. 

     This can work much better than the advertisement you might use. Ads tend to bring many prospects to your door, leaving you to quick step through the parade. 

     Put your present employees to work on finding that new employee. Talk to them in a private, one-on-one conversation. Describe the experience and qualities of the person you're looking to hire. 

     Make it clear that you need to increase the size of the business family. Reassure them that you are not looking to replace them. Ask if they know someone who can fit the bill. 

     You can inspire them by offering a bonus if they bring in the right person who is hired. After all, you were going to spend real dollars on that advertisement, right?

     I've used this method to good advantage in the past. It doesn't always work. But it's worth a try. And it always worked to build employee morale--by asking them, you convey the fact that you value their input, and they feel more a part of the on-going business.

     If you have questions on this or any other topic in this blog,
     email me direct at: AlWarr16@gmail.com and put BLOG in the subject line. 
     Your privacy always respected.