Reflection of Self

“We can never fall short when it comes to recruiting, hiring, maintaining and growing our workforce. It is the employees who make our organization’s success a reality.” (Vern Dosch). It goes without saying that who we hire in our business is of the utmost importance. There are  many things to look for and each business and business owner will be looking for different qualities. There are no set specifics that one can hire but many to choose and look for. Your employees are a huge representation of yourself as a business owner as well as your company as a whole. It is crucial to take the time to figure out exactly what you need in an employee. Nobody on the outside is able to make this decision for your small business other than yourself because the ones you hire must fit well with your morals, values and goals. When we aren’t hiring for the needs of the company, we then run into problems that could have been prevented.

Your small business is now taking off and the realization hits that you need some help. Whether it is upfront working with customers, hands on creation or running things behind the scene, you now need to trust someone else to handle a piece of what you have started. This is a huge milestone and in reality it should be treated as such. Hiring out should be taken seriously and deserves a process to ensure you are finding the right person. Of course there are main points to look for in a potential employee such as:

• Positive attitude
• Trusting
• Good work ethic
• Willingness to learn
• Punctual
• Respectful
• Appropriate appearance

Then there are pieces that individually match yourself and your business. These can’t be written out for anyone as they are going to differ in every setting. This is when you as a business owner need to set out and really think about what is going to compliment your business.  Do you need someone who is highly trained in the area you are hiring for? Are you willing to give the time to train someone with minimal knowledge? Do you require someone who is outspoken, can think on their feet and make decisions on the fly or someone who is more cautious. There are so many questions to ask yourself before you start your hiring process. If you can create your list of what you need in an employee and a list of wants, then you are well on your way to begin hiring. The process will be less stressful, you will know what you are looking for and most importantly you will end up with a potential employee who will be a positive asset.