Employees make a business what it is. This couldn’t be truer – especially for a small business. Small businesses rely so much more on each individual employee than bigger corporations. This makes it so much more important to get it right when it comes to hiring employees for your business. While you should always do the usual things when looking in to someone – check their resume, contact any references etc. – you should also be studying their qualities when you’re interviewing them. By looking out for these traits you will be much more likely to hire the best person.
· Engaging
Make sure that the person you are hiring is engaged with the vision you have for the business. It is difficult for some people to get excited about the product or service their company is selling. That is fine. But they should be passionate about the way that business is conducted at your business. This can be noticed if they ask a lot of questions about your business, or you asking questions such as “why do you want to work at this company?”
· Eagerness
If you are hiring someone to work for your small business, they should be always willing to learn new things. Ideal candidates may be people that have recently graduated from university (if experience isn’t a major factor in your hiring criteria). This because they will still have a hunger to learn new knowledge and experiences.
· Responsibility
Taking responsibility is more important in a small business. In bigger organisations, it is easy to pass the blame off on someone you won’t ever really see. You need to work with the person you are employing closely on a day-to-day basis. Making sure that you can trust them to take responsibility in their work will be vital.
· Likeability
It’s important to remember that you and the current members of your staff are going to be seeing this person a lot. They have to be likeable, approachable and be part of a good office atmosphere. Nothing will be worse than a toxic person working around you.
· Ambition
You don’t want to hire someone that is content with where they are. Sure if they are ambitious, they may end leaving your company. But that is a road that can be crossed at a later date. Ambitious people will be more hardworking, eager to learn and take on more responsibilities.
· Hiring Employees That Differ From You
Hiring someone that is exactly like you are might sound ideal but it is not. Hiring people with different views will help get different perspectives as well as making for a more diverse workspace. If the workspace is more diverse, then more differing ideas and opinions will be heard.
