The next employee

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     Finding that next employee can be frustrating. Much of the frustration might be your own--you might be looking in the wrong place. 

     All of us know that good employees are hard to find. It's really understandable--good employees already have jobs. To hire them to work for you can mean hiring them away from some other business.

     Another option is to train an existing employee to do the next level job. This means you are left with a lower job opening that must be filled.

     To look for that next employee, you might think about placing an ad. Or you might look to social media to find an applicant. Either one of these options can result in resumes flooding your desk. Not a good option. 

     But there are better ways--particularly for owners of small businesses. Once you're clear about what that next employee will be expected to do, tell your present employees what you're looking for. One of them might step up, wanting the job. Or, they might know someone else who will be good at the job--ask them to refer others. 

     Example: Tony ran a small printing operation. He had just four employees. He wanted to add a new press and he would need someone to operate the machine. His existing pressman jumped at the chance, leaving an opening to run the small, older press. The receptionist jumped at the chance to learn to operate the older press. This left Tony needing a new receptionist--an easier job opening to fill. 

     Example: Sara is a chiropractor who built her business into a wellness center. Her massage therapist moved away, leaving a hole in Sara's operation. She had a conversation with the nutritionist who practiced at the wellness center. The nutritionist suggested several possible candidates from her circle of contacts. Quietly, Sara checked out three of them, settling on one. She called that one, had an interview, and they settled on an arrangement. By networking her way through contacts, Sara avoided the resumes an advertisement would have brought in. 

     Example: Bill's private law practice was growing, and he wanted to add elder law capabilities. He had the expertise to handle elder law, but he needed another attorney to handle the other pieces of his practice. He began searching for a young, relatively inexperienced lawyer, feeling that he could train the younger attorney to handle anything that walked in the door. He found Ellie who had recently completed her bar exam. Today, Bill handles elder law while Ellie handles just about everything else. 

     You always want to hire someone who shows up on time, knows the language, has a good attitude, and gets along with others. Most of the time, you can teach them everything else.

     Placing an ad in newspapers or on social media can be the answer for big companies. But small business is a different animal.