12 Tips for Hiring the Right Person for your Start-up
Managing a start-up would force any one to take on different job descriptions. One of these new challenges would be learning to become a manager of human resources. In other words, an entrepreneur with a start-up will need to learn about hiring the right people. Getting the right people can help your company grow so it’s crucial to get them right on the first try. Here are a few tips on finding the right people to start your business with.
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Take your time to decide
Before making any big decisions, try to find out if the time is right to hire someone. Ask yourself, should you hire now or should you wait until next year? And once you have found the ideal applicant, hire them as soon as possible. Many employers make the mistake to delay hiring, only to later be informed that the applicants have changed their mind.
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Listen to your instincts
You will have to work closely with your first employee. If your gut tells you that you do not want to hire a person, then say no. You need to be able to work confidently with the people you hire to maximise returns.
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Check into the potential employee’s potential
Rather than focusing solely on a person’s resume, try to gauge their potential for improvement too. Someone inexperienced but prepared to be challenged may be a more valuable employee than someone who has years of practice but is tired of their work.
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Find out their online personality
Do your work and spend some time on a background check. Utilise social media to screen their profiles. Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are just some social networks that could give you a good overview of an applicant’s personality when hiring.
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Don’t be afraid to hire employees more qualified than you
Some employers deliberately hire applicants that are less qualified than them. Don’t make that mistake. If someone with better qualifications applies for the position, count them as people who can better improve your work and help you learn more about the business.
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Ask your applicants to accomplish a task
A better way to gauge your applicants’ abilities is by asking them to do something. Instead of simply analysing the way they answer your questions, make a more tangible task. Tell them to try and sell something for you, or ask them to join a meeting so you can see how they work.
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Think of all the right follow up questions
Your questions will help the applicant’s personality come out. If you ask the right ones you will learn more about any personality issues you might dislike. For example, some applicants may repeatedly put importance on emotional events. If you prefer a more professional and formal workplace then they might not be the right one for your company.
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Delay your judgement until after the interview
Wait for the end of your interview or test before you judge a person. Appearances may be distracting you from the true potential of applicants. Also, the first few answers may not be indicative of the applicant’s true potential. It is best to finish the interview before concluding if he or she is ideal for the job.
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Show potential employees the benefits
Tell your applicants what they can get from working with you. If you find their enthusiasm match yours according to the same offers, you will find the people who think the same way as you with regards to pay and benefits.
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Find good team players
Remember that your applicants will have to work together. Keep other employees in mind when you are interviewing the others. Finding people that will complement each other in skill and personality can smoothen out all company operations.
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Let them ask you questions
Gauge your applicants with how they ask you questions. You will find out what is important for them if they ask you about their concerns. If they are also able to ask relevant questions, you can see how they accept information and analyse them.
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Offer a great working environment
One of the best ways to lure in good applicants is to make sure that you are offering them something that they would want to have. If you are able to offer a good working environment then more applicants would be willing to join your team. Find out what type of working environment you would personally want to work in and try to reflect that in your company.
