At CorpNet, we pride ourselves on having a stellar team of employees. Many of our staff have been with us since we launched the company in 2009. We treat our staff like family, and in return, they do everything they can to help make CorpNet a success.
I feel pretty strongly about those statements and I want you to see why this is the case. Below are some links to a few employee highlights so you can see when I say my team is stellar, I truly believe it.
As a leader, I’ve learned a few strategies for finding the right people from the start and cultivating their skills so that they become long-term assets for our company.
1. Know What You Need
When you run a business, it’s challenging to focus on any one part of your business for too long. But if there’s one area I’ve found you can’t skimp on, it’s really thinking through your job description. If you hastily jot off a list of qualities you think you want in a new hire and then add to that list once that person starts training, you’re being unfair to the new employee by pulling the rug out from under her.
Block off as much time as it takes to really assess what a role entails and think through what a good job description looks like. That wording may change from what it looked like the last time you hired for that position. If your responsibilities list starts to look like a lengthy manifesto, consider whether you actually need to hire more than one person to take on your mega list.
If you’re having a mental block on crafting the right job description, head online for some inspiration. There are many websites that have samples readily available for you to browse. You can use 4 Corner Resource’s large list of job descriptions to get you started down the right path.
2. Ask the Right Questions
So many job interviews get stuck when the interviewer asks the same boring questions as everyone else. Do you really need to hear what a candidate considers his weaknesses? He’ll only position them as strengths like claiming he is too organized. Instead, create hypothetical situations where you can assess how the applicant would do in a realistic scenario.
If you’re struggling to come up with some solid options for interview questions, you can head online again to get inspiration. A newer website called zengig has a solid list of interview questions to get you started. And if this list doesn’t do the trick, just ask Google for more suggestions. With the massive amount of information available online, you can always get a dose of creativity to spice up the interview process.
3. Look for a Good Company Culture Fit
We have a fairly laid-back office here. Sure, we have rules, but our staff also knows they’re empowered to make the right decisions for both the customer and the company. You don’t want to look for people who need a lot of hand-holding. Instead, consider your company culture. What types of people do you have working for you that fit into that culture? Who wouldn’t be a good fit? Take that knowledge with you when reviewing applications.
4. Trust Your Gut
While you should have a list of qualities that you’re looking for in a candidate, don’t overlook the importance of your own instinct. You usually know within a few minutes whether you like a person, and that is imperative for an employee who might work with you for decades. My wife Nellie is the queen of trusting her gut. She has found amazing employees in the strangest places and this is because she trusted her gut and her initial reaction.
If everything on a candidate’s resume lines up with what you want, but you just get a sense that you wouldn’t work well together, don’t ignore that. Sometimes our guts know more than our brains.
5. Ask Your Staff for Referrals
When you first start a corporation or LLC, you won’t have any staff to ask for employee referrals, but as you grow, they can be a great resource for you. After all, they already know what it’s like to work at your company, and can make recommendations of friends or contacts who they think will be a good fit.
We wouldn’t be where we are without our fantastic employees. It’s worth the time to really delve into what you want in your staff so that you get exactly what you want.
Ready to start a business so you can hire those amazing employees? CorpNet can help. Contact us about incorporating a business today!
