Guest PostHiring new employees is stressful. At least, it will be if you don’t really know what you want from a future employee.
Depending on the position and what it requires, even your interview questions may vary. No matter what position you are interviewing for, you need some consistency so you can determine the best fit for your company. If you aren’t sure where to start, here is a list of 5 things you should ask yourself about every candidate:
Do They Care About Your Business?
Is the individual you are interviewing passionate about what you do? Do they know who you are or are you just another job posting they saw? Ideally, you want to hire someone who is excited about your company and mission. Someone who wants to learn from you and become a true part of your team. You can gauge this by asking them why they want to work there. Is this just a job they will come to hate in the future or is this something they really want to help further their career? Bottom line, you want someone who is enthusiastic and will put their all into your business.
Are They Responsible?
As you look for a new hire, you want someone who is responsible. Someone who will be able to handle anything you throw their way. As a small business owner looking to build your company, you want personnel who can handle the stress. This simply won’t happen if you don’t have responsible, hard-working employees. So how do you know if a potential employee is responsible or not? You ask them behavioral questions. For example: “Tell me about a time when you underwent a task that was difficult for you.” How they went about completing that task will be a great indicator of their work ethic and responsibility.
Do They Accurately Represent Themselves?
Before you hire someone, you want to get a feel for who they really are. Meaning that you want to find someone who is not only good on paper, but in real life too. Some people you interview will be too modest while others will greatly over-exaggerate their abilities in hopes of getting the job. The trick is figuring out who is telling the truth. Who will benefit your business and who is too good to be true? This is where checking references comes in handy. Too often, references are overlooked completely. They are always given, but many employers do not utilize them to their full potential. Ask for a mixture of references such as former employers, peers, and subordinates (if any). This will give you a better overall picture of the candidate and will help you avoid hiring someone who seems great but turns out to be a less than ideal employee.
Are They Just Like You?
Hiring people who are all the same will do nothing for your business. You want diversity and unique thought. No matter how great you are, you don’t want a bunch of other people just like you working for you. If you do hire someone just like you, then you will both have the same limitations. Instead, look for employees who will compliment you. One person’s strengths should make up for another’s weaknesses and vice versa. As you become accustomed to hiring, you will learn to recognize what kinds of people you need moving forward.
Are They a Good Fit?
Trust yourself. You didn’t get this far by chance. A lot of hard work and good intuition went into building your own business. If you don’t feel like someone is right for your company, then don’t hire them. You may not even be able to put your finger on the problem, but you just know. That is okay. How you feel about an individual goes a long way in making a final hiring decision. You know your business better than anyone. You know what you need to succeed. Trust your gut.
Conclusion
Hiring new employees for your small business is crucial to its growth and success. You don’t just want to hire anyone who fits the job description. There is so much more to it than that. You want someone you are comfortable with, but who can contribute to your business and help it grow. By creating a checklist and knowing what you are looking for before the interview, you will find the best candidate in no time. As your company continues to evolve, so will your checklist.
About the Author
As a writer at the Built for Teams PTO Tracking blog, Micaiah specializes in providing tips and advice for managers, HR personnel and small business owners. Built for Teams was created by the Objective Web Developers team, and offers a full suite of easy-to-use HR tools catered specifically to the needs of small businesses.
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