You’ve run every base: cultivated an idea, drafted a business plan, and secured your location. Now it’s time for your final sprint to home plate. Staffing a business is a complicated task. You need committed, teachable, and experienced team members for your business to run smoothly.
These individuals are difficult to find. Job boards provide an influx of applicants, but sorting through them is a tedious task. You may find yourself losing momentum in the process. Overwhelm contributes to a lack of direction, and eventually, you’ll find yourself in an open business with no one to greet your customers when they walk through the door.
There are a few steps you can take to regain your sense of direction.
Step One: Review Your Applications
Once candidates submit their bids for your open positions, it’s time to review applications. Hiring a recruitment agency may make the following process a bit easier. They implement the parameters for you and create a list of viable options for you to interview.
Weeding out underqualified applicants should be your first priority. Skills that don’t align with the job description, work experience that isn’t relevant to your needs, and educational backgrounds that don’t meet your requirements should be the first applications to set aside.
Look for the skills that will add value to your business. You want applicants that have worked in your field previously. If you included a list of questions in your applications, review your candidate’s answers. Are they spelled and punctuated correctly? Do they answer the questions fully? Do their answers prove that they’re capable of doing the job? These are the questions you should ask yourself when you review applications.
Consider the client’s current location and gauge if making the commute on a regular basis is feasible for them. If you see an exceptional applicant that happens to live in a different city or state, consider a relocation bonus, or offer them a remote position if possible.
Review the applicant’s education history. Make sure their degree aligns with the knowledge you’re looking to cultivate in the workplace. Their background needs to be relevant to the
position they’re applying for. This includes volunteer work, awards, and internships. These things provide insight into the experience your candidates have earned in the field.
Step Two: Interview Potential Candidates
Once you’ve compiled a list of qualified applicants, it’s time to extend an invitation for them to interview for your open positions.
You already know that your applicants are qualified; the interview is a good opportunity to get to know them as a person. You can assess their character and determine if they will add value to your business.
Prepare your interview questions beforehand. You don’t want to seem disorganized to your interviewees. Establishing a healthy first impression and a basis of respect will help the encounter run smoothly.
Avoid open-ended questions like “Tell Me About Yourself,” or “Where Do You See Yourself in Ten Years?” These are popular things to ask in an interview, but they don’t accomplish the feat of getting to know what the applicant is really about. Make your inquiries specific to the company and relevant to the position the candidate applied for.
Ask them about what they intend to add to the workplace. Ask them about what inspires, encourages, and motivates them. Have them tell you about a time they achieved great success, and the steps they took to get there. Inquire about their weaknesses and communication styles.
Solid workplace relationships are the backbone of a successful business. Chaos only breeds misery. You need to establish a rhythm and comfortability with your employees. The interview phase is a chance to see which applicants are open to contributing to that environment.
Step Three: Extend an Offer
The worst is over. You’ve done the necessary legwork, built the foundation you need, and now it’s time for the fun part: creating your dream team.
Your offer needs to be clear and concise. Be sure to include a start date and any onboarding procedures your candidates need to complete. List the salary, working hours, benefits, and other incentives that come with accepting the offer. Call your candidates and let them know the good news! Give them a timeframe in which they need to respond to the offer.
Schedule a time for them to check out the office space. You can also plan a small meet-and-greet for your new staff. This will give them a chance to get to know each other before you’re open for business.
With these essential steps completed, you’ve slid gracefully to home base, and your business is off to a winning start.
