When you are running a small business, hiring employees is a lot more difficult than you think. There are things that you will want to make sure to ask an employee before hiring them onto the company.
Before you set up any interviews, think about what you need from your new employee. Make sure the goals are realistic, and think if you really need a new employee–or if the job could be done by automation or any different way.
For example, if you want to build your disaster recovery plan, you can easily use a software to help you. It’s way easier than going through the process of hiring someone, and it’ll cost you less money. By using software, you’ll know your data is safe in the event of an emergency.
If you go into your interviews blind, you might hire someone that isn’t the best fit. Here are some things you should consider before you hire your next employee:
Ensure that they’re motivated
It is important to make sure that your potential employee is a motivated worker and ready to take on the new job. You don’t want to end up hiring someone that isn’t able to do the job how it should be done–or someone who dreads coming to work.
Notice how the potential employer presents him/herself. Do they seem like a happy person? Are they up for a challenge? What about technological changes in the workplace? See how the interviewee responds to these questions.
Granted, not every single one of your employees are 100 percent all of the time–some days are better than others. You want to make sure the person you hire is going to be a great asset to your team–not bring the team down.
Make sure they work well in a group
Having an employee that works well with a group is crucial to your company–no one should feel that they are competing against one another. Some employers may like working alone rather than in a group–and that’s totally fine. The point is, you want your potential employer to work well with the group should he/she ever have to.
This relates to group projects, brainstorming, problem-solving. If the potential employer seems a bit shy, no worries. Most of the time, a person just needs some time to adjust to a new situation–it doesn’t mean that they can’t.
You want your employees to look out for one another–if there is an issue that needs to be addressed–working collaboratively is likely to help solve that problem.
Determine leadership in a candidate
Another important feature for a potential employee is leadership. You need to know that if you put them in charge of a situation, they can handle it. You also want to be sure that this person isn’t afraid of the situation–and is willing to work towards bettering it.
There are many qualities a leader should have: confidence, patience, empowerment, and more. What’s most important is that a leader’s behavior is an example for the rest of your employees–if you don’t care, why should they? If the potential employer doesn’t seem like they’ll be a good influence on the rest of the team–you probably shouldn’t hire them.
What do they think of change?
It is crucial to get a feel for how a potential employee will react to internal change. This is especially important when it comes to technology in the workplace.
Automation in the workplace has already begun, and it isn’t likely to slow down anytime soon. Consider your accounts payable department–you can help them out by automating some of their work. This is an adjustment for sure, but it is a positive solution that will produce more efficient work all around.
Employees may be skeptical of change at first–but it is only helping their careers in the long run. It will enhance their skill sets, and give them more confidence while working. They will also be granted some free time to focus on other jobs that haven’t been getting enough attention.
Gauge their communication skills
When you hire a new employee, you should consider how well this potential employee can communicate with you and other employees. Again, if the person is shy–it’s no big deal.
This is a huge step when hiring a new employee–you don’t want to hire somebody who thinks they don’t have to work with others to get things done. Having an employee who has a good workflow, can make important decisions, can problem solve, and more–are just some qualities in a person with great communication skills.
Make your business better
Having employees that all work well with one another can be difficult to find. When you’re considering hiring a new employee, make sure you think long and hard about the person you are choosing.
This person is supposed to be making your company better–so it shouldn’t be taken lightly. If you interview several people and are still unsure of who to hire, think of what you really want this person to accomplish in your company.
It can be a difficult process for sure, but it is necessary for the growth of your business. If you take a chance on someone and it doesn’t work out–go back to the drawing board. Soon, you will realize which people are a good fit for your team and those who aren’t.