You will never forget the first person you hire. It doesn’t matter if you started out as a solopreneur that suddenly needed to expand or you’re one of three co-founders that always wanted to grow; your first employee is memorable – your role is to make sure they are memorable for the right reasons.
You are now in responsible for someone else’s livelihood, you have proof your business is worth working for and you have a sudden boost in productivity. It’s a huge adjustment to get used to, and the benefits are incredible. However, the pressure is on to find that perfect person, and here is some advice on how:
It’s A Race Against Time
As soon as it becomes clear you could do with an extra pair of hands, make your moves to hire someone. Yes, it will probably be tight at first, but having someone else devote forty-plus hours a week to your cause will be more than worth it. More brainpower, more ideas, more innovation and more resource.
Their Future Not Their Past
You really want to be hiring someone based on their potential, not one they have achieved thus far. One of your key responsibilities is to see the potential in others, but it also goes beyond this – you also need to draw that potential out, which is where others may have failed. Yes, the fact they have worked someone well-known and have years of experience is good, but don’t underestimate the power of passion, empathy and a shared mission. Oh, and the fact they’ve worked in lots of places before is not a bad thing. After all, you probably dated a lot of people before you found the one.
Bring On The Professionals
Finding the perfect person is not as simple as putting an ad onto some job board and waiting for them to come to you. Oh no. That will be like trying to find a cotton wool ball in a snowstorm. Instead, you need to bring on some professionals to help you. If you are looking to hire an HR professional in order to scale up, then speak to some HR interim services that have a wide net of relationships. When it comes to standing out and attracting top talent, hire a creative copywriter to do your job description in a way that sells your culture as much as anything. Hiring isn’t easy. It is fierce, competitive and important. Remember that.
Don’t Allow Any Room For BS
It doesn’t take the most accomplished BS’er to blag their way through a set of interview questions and that’s because most of them are generic and rubbish. So, instead of just asking questions and letting a bunch of chatterboxes convince you they are right, have them complete a task of some sort. If it is a salesperson you’re hiring, then have them sell you something. If it is a marketer, then have then come up with an outreach strategy of some sort. If it is a creative copywriter, have them tell the story of your brand, even if it just to show off the tone. Trust us, you will separate the ones who want and deserve a shot from the ones just looking for a paycheck.
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