Angela Kamanzi My Journey in Entrepreneurship
This is a question that has baffled many a small business owners at all times. Being passionate about your venture is one thing, but finding staff who share your passion is an uphill task.
For a business to be successful especially when it’s still a startup, it’s important to surround yourself with individuals who are qualified and who share your passion for the venture. It’s worth to note that no matter who you hire, no one in your company will have the exact same vision as you the owner. However you can profoundly influence your employees’ loyalty to the brand by having a deep understanding of the business and performing as an adaptable, creative and inspiring executive.
In this first instalment I’ll talk about the initial stages of the hiring process in 6 points.
1- It All Starts With You
Are you passionate and excited about your business? You are the starting point because you can literary transmit your passion and excitement for your venture to your entire team. When your team sees the excitement and passion you have for your company and mission, they will begin to reflect those feelings.
Show openly your enthusiasm for your mission. When you get a new customer, share your excitement with your team and in return you will gain smiles and energy. Nothing is more exciting than a leader who is passionate and celebrates every small victory within the company.
2- Spot Potential
Look for a person who is passionate about causes that are similar to yours, and find evidence that she is very good at what she has done before, even if it’s a variety of things.
Unlocking potential is about matching someone’s skills and passions. Your position could give somebody a way to truly unleash themselves and you are likely to see results.
3- The Sooner the Better
Hire someone as soon as you realise that you need them and can afford them, even if it’s tight at first. The extra energy that another person gives in creativity, brainpower and legwork is invaluable. Things that would otherwise take you weeks will be done in days. Entire workloads will disappear from your to-do list.
Often, founders who are reluctant to hire even when they’re overworked end up regretting when they realize later how much they weren’t getting done. Partners may consider sacrificing some of their own pay to make room for a new hire.
4- Get Recommendation
A suggestion from someone you trust will help eliminate some of your doubts surrounding potential staff. Previous colleagues, fellow entrepreneurs or friends and family may recommend potential candidates.
If you are outsourcing the recruitment process to a recruitment agency, you should make sure that they understand exactly what you are looking for. It might be difficult to find employees that match your brief exactly, so let the recruitment agent know the areas where you are prepared to compensate.
5- Conduct a Background Check
Finding out about the background of a potential employee is a good way to avoid problems from the onset. An investigation into a candidate’s employment history may reveal incidents of stealing or fraud for example. Or it may just highlight that they are unreliable and not the right person for the job. Background investigation services will cost your business, but in the long run it could save you money if the employee turns out, say, to be a thief.
In case you prefer to do a background check yourself, looking at the candidate’s social media sites to see how they behave on these channels may help. You should also ask for a minimum of two referees and speak to them.
Often when you meet the candidate for the first time you may make a snap judgment based on their appearance. Focus on their skills and personality rather than their look instead.
6- Hire People Who Have More Qualifications Than You
You can’t be an expert on every aspect of your business. Hiring excellent staff to look after the different aspects of your business allows you to focus on the aspects that you know best. You will feel more comfortable for example handing over the accounting, sales and marketing reigns to highly experienced staff.
Next week I will talk about the character of the new hire, the onboarding process and the legal aspect.
How do you ensure that you hire staff that are passionate about your mission? Please share in the comments below, or on my Facebook page.
