How do you find the right employees for your small business? Hiring is often both a science and an art.
Remember you are hiring to fill a position, rather than trying to fit a person into your business. So whoever you do hire must be qualified to meet the demands of that position. The person should also have the personality that fits in with that job. A shy and very introverted personality would not be my first choice for any sales position, but this may work very well for positions such as bookkeeping or technical support. The person should also be able to work in a team environment. Team players are what any business needs.
Getting that perfect person is always difficult when interviewing a prospective employee. If the person seems bored, impatient or generally uncommunicative then these are signs to look out for.
Try to get to know the applicant as best as you can, and attempt to determine whether he or she has the skill sets and experience that you require. Ask for specific details that will help prove that the applicant has a fair idea of what they profess to know. You are looking for evidence that the person will be able to do the job. Ask hypothetical questions on how the applicant would react under certain circumstances or how they would approach solving a particular problem. For example ask questions such as – How would you do “X” in this situation? How would you handle “Y” under the following circumstances?
Maintain control of the interviewing process, by keeping idle chatter to a minimum and focus on determining whether there is a fit on both a skills and personality level. Ask the applicant why they want the job and what they expect to get out of it.
Always contact the references given by the applicants, even though you are aware that no one is about to give you bad ones. Find out what the reference liked about the applicant and what they did not. Find out why did the applicant leave this previous place of employment?
If all the questions are answered to your satisfaction, then the art aspect comes into play. How do you feel about the applicant? Would they fit in your business environment working with yourself and the rest of your team? If your gut feel is good, then perhaps you have a new team member.
Take your time finding the right person. Pick the wrong person and your business may really feel it.
Always include an escape route for your business when making a new hire. Hire with the understanding that there will be a probationary period of so many weeks or months to check out if the new hire has worked out. If things have not turned out as you would have liked, then you have no legal requirements compelling you to keep the person in the employ of your business.
Mark Bergman helps and advises business owners with the starting up of their new businesses and improving the running of existing businesses.
Small business owners have lots on their plates. They have to run their business and take care of all of the daily household chores that you have to do to in order to maintain their personal lives. A lot of people wonder if they should attend any of the small business mixers that happen in their area. Yes you should. I know what you’re thinking. How can I make money from attending these events? No one’s sticking money in my pocket at the door. The remainder of this article will give you tips on how you can profit from attending live events.
Bring your digital camera and take pictures with people you’d like to do joint ventures with.
If you already know that someone you have been wanting to do a joint venture with is going to be at the event, take that person’s picture. Most people won’t turn this opportunity down. Most marketers know that the more times people see their picture, the more money they can make. This will help you when you get ready to do your joint venture because that person will remember you because they see you in the picture that you took. This picture will help gain credibility because people will see that you actually do know this person.
Ask the people attending questions related to a business problem you are having.
If the opportunity presents itself, ask questions. People are always looking for ways to show off what they know. If you ask a question, they get the chance to show what they know. You get your problem solved. Win-Win situation all around.
Follow up with the people you meet.
This is the most important part of having success with live events. Many times people go to live events collect a ton of business cards and then promptly throw them in the desk drawer with the rest of the business cards they’ve collected. This is not good. Even though you may be dog tired, take some time to email the people you meet at networking events as soon as you get home. It doesn’t have to be all that long. Just tell them your name and how you met. Be sure to ask where they network online so you can add them as a friend on whichever social media site they use.
Live events are a great way to meet some of the people you’ve been networking with online in person. These events are also great places to make new friends. The key to profiting from live events is in the follow up. You have to stay in touch with the people that you want to do business with. It does you absolutely no good to go to these networking events and then throwing the business card of the person you just met in a drawer somewhere. Use the tips given in this article and you will be well on your way to profiting from attending live events.
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