Two recent Global small-business surveys, the Mid-Year Small
Business Report Card and Year-End SMB Survey, both seem to have a clear theme
for 2014 -- small business owners are going to be hiring. According to the
research from the surveys, more than 77 percent of small businesses plan to
staff up in 2014 by bringing on employees, paid interns or unpaid interns. It may have something to do with the fact
that many entrepreneurs have made a New Year’s Resolution to find better
work-life balance.
Of the many roles entrepreneurs handle themselves when
getting their businesses up and running, the least popular is that of HR
manager. Just two percent cited this
mission-critical function as their favorite part of the job. If you are one of the entrepreneurs that are thinking
about hiring in the New Year, we have some suggestions to hire wisely.
1. Clearly define the position.
You should keep in mind that people search for jobs based on
keywords or industries. The more detailed
a job description you can draft, the more appropriate your potential candidates
will be and the better your chances of matching the right person with the
role.
2. A flexible work policy may attract
and retain better talent.
As long as your team can meet its goals and collaborate when
needed, offering flexible schedules and office hours is a enormous selling point. Generally speaking, top talent does not want
to sit in an office all day, rather they want the option to get their work done
at a coffee shop or stay in their pajamas at home. According
to the SMBs survey, 36 percent of small businesses plan to offer more flexible
working environments to find better employees. Today’s world with mobile
technologies and cloud services, you can attract these employees by offering
them greater flexibility in when and where they work.
3. Do not rush the process.
Take your time to find the right candidate. According to an article in Business News
Daily, you have a higher chance of hiring the wrong person for a role if you're
desperate to fill the position and rush the process. If you really need help
right away, bring in temporary help while you carefully search for the right
permanent candidate.
4. Remember to Onboard.
Make sure you
have an up-to-date employee handbook and they receive a copy of it to
review. Go over the policies with your
new employee to make sure they understand your expectations. It is hard to be the new person who does not
know all the processes, so the HR team, whoever that may consist of should
ensure a smooth transition from candidate to employee.