How To Grow Your Team as a Small Business Owner
Before I dive into things, I want to congratulate you! If you’re at the point where you’re ready to hire an employee, contractor, or a team, you should take some time to celebrate. This is a big milestone for any business owner, and it’s important to recognize how far you’ve come!
Hiring people who fit your business is no easy feat, and it can be intimidating at times. A key focus of mine in 2021 was building and growing my team, and my business has benefited big time with these talented individuals on the team. If you aren’t sure where to begin, here are a few steps to help you go and grow!
Preparation Is Key
Before you begin, make sure you’re really ready to move forward in your hiring process. A few questions to ask yourself include:
Do I have time to train and onboard a new employee? Training will take a significant time out of your schedule, so make sure you have time carved out specifically for training, onboarding, and fielding questions.
Do I have training materials prepared? If the answer to the question is no, save yourself a massive headache and create a training manual or SOP document ASAP. Establish an onboarding process and schedule if you haven’t already. Having these documents and processes will make the transition for your employee much more manageable.
What’s my budget? Carefully look over your finances to see what’s realistic for this new position. Keep in mind you can’t expect senior-level work with entry-level pay.
Writing the Job Description
Before you come for me, I know this one seems like an obvious one, but it’s important. You need to be crystal clear with what you’re looking for— for your sake and your applicants. Once you understand exactly what you need in a candidate, your hiring process will go much smoother.
Figure out what you want and need FIRST, then write it into a job description. This description is where you should get into the details:
Position responsibilities
Pay range
Required/necessary experience
Opportunities for growth (potential applicants want to know if there’s an opportunity to move up!)
Required/necessary skills & abilities (these can be tangible or intangible)
List your description online and breathe a sigh of relief! Step one is done, and now you can (impatiently) wait for applications and resumes to start rolling into your inbox.
Trusting Your Gut
Depending on the urgency of your need for more people, you may be tempted to hire the very first person you connect with and call it a day. STOP. Please do your due diligence (check references, background checks, etc.), with each applicant you’re considering. If those items check out and you’re ready to make a decision, trust yourself! No one knows your business or work style better than you do, which means you are the most qualified person to make this big decision. Take your time, weigh your options, and trust yourself to make the right call when you’re ready.
Growing your team is a huge, exciting, and (sometimes) intimidating step to take as a business owner— but it’s beyond worth it. With the right people on your team, your business will grow and flourish in ways you never expected! If you’re in the hiring process or about to begin, I’m sending you all the good vibes and best wishes.
If you have questions about how to set up growth strategies for your business this year, let me know! My team can help your growing team reach your goals and boost your success in 2022.