If you’re ready to hire your first employee, chances are you’ve been thinking about it for a while. Your business is likely growing fast, which is exciting and exhausting at the same time. And burnout is a very real risk. But, a funny thing about hiring someone to help take work off your plate – it generates even more work in the short term. Basically, hiring an employee – especially your first one – can generate a lot of stress.
Here are a few tips to help you get your first hiring process handled with the minimum amount of stress and with the desired outcome of finding a person to join your team!
Know Your Needs and Your Vision
Before you even begin the hiring process, you need to lay some groundwork. Define the role you are looking to fill. Establish clear expectations for what kind of performance you will expect from the new employee. Have a clear grasp of your vision for how this role will impact your business on a daily basis. Define your role and the role of your soon-to-be new employee. How will you work together and where are the boundaries about who is responsible for what? The ability to execute things well will empower the individuals you hire as a result.
It’s important to put all of this information down before you even consider posting the position or receiving your first resume. If you have a clear understanding of what you need from the new employee before you even begin the hiring process, you can write a very well-defined job description and also clearly explain these expectations to your new hire. Start by taking a close look at how your company functions and identifying any gaps or tasks that require more than your undivided attention.
Hire for Culture (Not Just Skills)
When hiring your first employee, factors like talents and experience will surely be important. You need someone who can effectively excel in the job. However, another key element in making a successful hire is finding someone who fits into your current and future company and team culture.
The fact of the matter is that all the skills in the world won’t matter if a candidate isn’t a good fit for your culture. You may find an incredibly talented candidate who can excel in the specifics of the role, but who personally isn’t trustworthy or who may not be a fit for your company in a variety of ways.
To be clear, when we discuss hiring for culture, we mean hiring for culture add rather than hiring just for culture fit. This means that the person doesn’t need to be a carbon copy of you or exactly match every aspect of your vision of the future company culture. In fact, they should add some new elements to the culture through their own unique background, experience, and personality. Just make sure what they are adding is in line with your core beliefs and vision.
Look For Someone who Compliments You
One thing that many people do when hiring a first employee is look for a carbon copy of themselves – just perhaps newer in their career or with less experience. That’s natural, but it isn’t always the best course of action. Look for a candidate who compliments your skills and abilities, but also brings new capabilities to the table.
By providing additional services to your business and clients, you might be able to enter a new market by hiring someone who can complement your talents. Just recall the instance of the lawn care specialist who wishes to provide hardscaping services.
It’s a good idea not to hire anybody who is too similar to you. Bring in someone who is unique and has fresh perspectives that can enrich your culture. They can also aid in problem-solving creativity and increase the profitability of your company.
