Julia WeeksAs a small business owner, hiring the right people for the right positions is key when it comes to the success of your small business. There are 4 hiring mistakes that can cost your business its potential for success.
1. Hiring only for skill
Yes, it is important to have the right experience in your small business. However, do not get so caught up in this that you hire the wrong person.
Just because someone has 20 years of experience doesn’t meant that he will be the right person for your small business. Ask yourself important questions during the interview process:
Does more experience mean it’s the right experience for what your small business needs?
Will the experienced candidate bring the right attitude and approach to the table?
Does the experienced candidate fit in with the type of culture you want to encourage in your small business?
You can hire the most experienced candidates, only to find out that their experience doesn’t help them fit in with your company culture and brand. This puts you and your business in a bad spot, costing you more in the end when you have to find a replacement.
Don’t let lesser experience be a deal breaker when hiring.
2. Hiring without input from your team
When it comes down to final interviews, consider including key members of your team on the interview. Your team members will feel valued and you will be promoting a more collaborative environment within your small business.
You also may be surprised at some of the red flags you have missed during the interview process. Including your team on the interview will help you to better understand the candidate’s communication skills and attitude towards others.
Be sure to have a team huddle after the final round of interviews to gather insight and opinions from your team on the candidate’s fit.
3. Not explaining expectations
Never assume that your job description prepares a new hire for the job expectations. Always discuss with the candidate what you and your small business will expect in the day to day work as well as long term work.
When your new hire knows what to expect, there are fewer surprises and you have a better chance of hiring the right fit.
4. Forgetting to check references
This is a mistake that so many hiring managers make.
Ask each candidate in the final interview stages for a list of references and only accept management references. If you are hiring for a sales or customer service role, it can be beneficial to check customer references, but never forego the management references.
Just imagine the cost avoided by simply checking references when you find out your star candidate was fired from a previous position or had a problem with following protocol, etc.
What are some other costly hiring mistakes that you avoid? Please share your tips in the comments below.
Image: Sergey Nivens/BigStock.com
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