Definitive Steps to Create the Optimal Small Business Growth Team
It starts with smart methodical recruitment of qualified employees who can grow your business.
Start Up Handbook series part 3, This part covers initial stages of hiring objectives and considerations.
Good hiring practices are crucial to finding qualified, motivated employees whom you can rely on as you run and grow your business.
- Performing a job analysis: Completing a job analysis requires you to think carefully about the position and the qualities needed to fill it. As a result, you’ll be more selective.
- Duties: What the employee will do on a day-to-day basis.
- Job Goals: How this job fits in with other employees on your staff and your overall business goals.
Job Requirements: These might include frequent travel, working night or weekend shifts, or physical requirements, such as being able to lift certain amount of weight.
- Methods and Equipment: How the job will be performed and what equipment the employee will need to use.
- Experience, Skills and Traits Needed: What past job experience is needed to fill this job? What special skills are needed? Include any degrees, training or certifications required. Also include personality traits, such as “self-directed,” “multitasker,” etc.
- Salary or Payment: How will the employee be compensated- hourly or salaried? Per project? On commission?
Hiring vs. outsourcing – (Advantages vs. disadvantages)
Different types of employees:
| FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES |
Advantages:
- Commitment: Full-time employees are likely to be more committed to your business.
- Time: Full-time employees can work longer hours.
- Training: Because they are full time, you can offer them training and long-term development.
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Disadvantages:
- Cost: There may be an added cost (up to 20 or 30 percent of salary) for employee benefits.
- Legal issues: Hiring full-time employees opens your business up to many legal issues.
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| PART-TIME EMPLOYEES |
Advantages:
- Cost: Part-time employees cost less since they are typically hourly, not salaried.
- Flexibility: Part-timers often don’t expect to work traditional business hours.
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Disadvantages:
- Commitment: Part-timers maybe less committed to your business than full-timers.
- Time: They lack the time, dedication and know-how your business needs.
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| TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES |
Advantages:
- Agency assistance: The temporary agency finds the workers for you and handles all legal, tax and paperwork issues.
- Specialized employees: Temporary agencies offer highly specialized workers, including medical and legal staff, managers and more.
- Flexibility: You can hire temporary workers when you need them and let them go when you don’t.
- Cost: Since they don’t get benefits, temporary employees save you money.
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Disadvantages:
- Reliability: Temporary workers are less reliable and committed than full-time employees.
- No long-term development: You probably won’t want to invest in long term development or training of temps.
- Time: Getting temporary workers up to speed takes time.
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| INTERNS |
Advantages:
- Energy: Interns are typically full of energy, enthusiasm and new ideas.
- Cost: In some states, interns can work for free (in return for college credit).
- Flexibility: Interns can fill your need for evening or weekend employees.
- Possible full-time hire: A good intern can become a full-time hire after graduation.
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Disadvantages:
- Supervision: Interns require lots of supervision and training.
- Restrictions: Depending on their age, there may be restrictions on an intern’s hours or duties.
- Legal issues: State laws regulate minors in the work force.
- Scheduling: Interns may need to fit their work schedules around school.
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| INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS |
Advantages:
- Cost: Independent contractors are often less expensive than full-time employees.
- Specialized skills: Independent contractors have specialized skills your staff may lack.
- Speed: An independent contractor can often complete a project faster than a busy employee.
- Flexibility: You can hire contractors on an as-needed basis.
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Disadvantages:
- Communication: Working with someone outside your business can create communication challenges.
- Accountability: A contractor may not deliver, leaving you in the lurch.
- Not sole client: Sometime other clients’ projects may take priority over yours.
- Tax and legal issues: You must make sure your independent contractors meet the proper legal criteria. (www.irs.gov)
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| REMOTE WORKERS |
Advantages:
- Cost: You save money on office space
- Desirable perk: Remote work can attract top job candidates.
- Specialized skills: Remote workers may have specialized talent not available in your area.
- Productivity: Remote workers tend to work longer hours and be more productive than office employees.
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Disadvantages:
- Accountability/Communication: You need to keep tabs on what remote workers are doing using tools such as instant messaging (IM), collaboration software, videoconferencing or teleconferencing.
- Teamwork: Remote workers sometime feel left out o the office team.
- Legal Issues: A remote worker is subject to the same legal and tax concerns as any employee, which can get complex if you have remote workers in other states.
- Time zones: Dealing with workers in different time zones can be an advantage or a disadvantage.
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OUTSIDE RESOURCES: Your business may benefit from outside professional to grow. These include: |
- Accountant: Even if you have an in-house accounting team, an outside accountant can advise you on issues such as succession, retirement planning, mergers and acquisitions, and taking on outside investors.
- Attorney: An attorney can help you create and review contracts and documents.
- Consultant: A business consultant can advise you everything from revising your business plan to targeting new markets.
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- IT Services: If you don’t have in-house IT, you will need the services of an outside IT provider.
- Coaches: Business or personal coaches can help you attain both personal and business goals.
- Board of Advisors: Creating an informal board of advisors is a great way to get advice and input.
- Mentors: Mentors provide advice, guidance and feedback. You can find a mentor informally through your contacts, or through a formal program.
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Before hiring an outside professional, ask about:
- Prior experiences with small businesses
- Prior experience in your industry
- What type of contract they use
- How you will be billed (hourly, per project, retainer, ongoing or on completion)
- Availability
- References
Next- How to interview, train, access the right talent
