mike One of the most important parts of any company is its staff. Without talented, hardworking, and courteous employees, a business can quickly develop a negative reputation, repel customers and fail to remain productive in the long term.
This is why it is imperative for you to hire the best employees possible for your business.
It may be easy to grasp the basics of what you look for in a prospective candidate – including qualifications, prior experience, and good references – but it is the details that set apart the average candidates from the exemplary ones.
It is these details that you must look out for.
This is how to hire the right staff for your small business:
Keep yourself protected at all times
The first step you need to take when choosing the right employees for your business is to find out how trustworthy they are.
Although it is impossible to truly know how much you can trust someone until you hire them and put it to the test, you need to be as sure as possible before you let them anywhere near your sensitive data and corporate information.
This is because a significant amount of corporate data losses and thefts are due to the actions of an employee, partner, or contractor, not an outside source.
Therefore, don’t leave yourself vulnerable by allowing your employees more security clearance than necessary, at least to start with.
You need to be sure that you can trust your employees with your most confidential information, so constantly monitor the safety of your files and change passwords regularly.
You can find out more about insider threats here.
Look for the right kind of personality as well as skills
A great employee is valuable for more than their skill set. While it is crucial to have the most skilled staff possible, what really sets the best individuals apart is their personality.
It is possible to learn most skills to a high level, but it is impossible to replicate someone’s personality, and if you find a candidate whose temperament perfectly fits the role, they are almost certain to excel in their job and be an outstanding ambassador for your brand.
For instance, if you have a high-pressure job (like a store manager), you need someone who thrives in a stressful environment.
Therefore, if you have two candidates with equally impressive backgrounds and skillsets, but one is clearly someone who thrives under pressure, and the other one doesn’t, then if you know who is the best option.
Hire people who are better at their jobs than you are
One of the best rules of thumb when searching for the best employees is to hire people who are better at their jobs than you are.
This might sound like a cliche, but it makes sense. If you are surrounded by ‘yes’ people who tell you only what you want to hear, then you will never be able to make informed decisions or lead your business to greater success.
Similarly, if you deliberately hire people who don’t encroach on your level of talent or standing within the business, then you will never acquire the necessary talent to grow a successful enterprise.
Instead, only hire people who can test you on a daily basis. This way, your business will always be innovating and pushing new boundaries – both necessary for growth and success.
