You’ve decided that you need full-time employees for your small business–Congratulations! If you are like most, the instinct is to dive in–write that job description, advertise, and wait for the flood of responses from applicants. While this common practice provides an immediate sense of satisfaction, when it comes to building a professional staff, it is wiser for the small business owner to invest in a process and materials that will draw the caliber of individuals she expects–now and in the future.

To be on the successful hiring path, attract a viable pool of candidates, and ultimately have the right person on board, you’ll want an advisor and a consultant who can take the burden off you. However, should you insist on going it alone, these steps will help frame your approach:
Examine the role(s) you will need based on your true business goals and align your hiring decision accordingly. Although it sounds simple, you’ll want to look closely at your perceived need and how it relates to your ultimate goal. For example, if the invoices, word processing, mail, and phones are leaving little time for you to focus on critical tasks, such as increasing your customer base, you might decide to hire an administrative assistant. But, through some tough introspection, you might discover that, even with front-office support, you’d still be without a clearly defined plan or the expertise to gain more customers. Given your most pressing goal–more customers–and this new perspective, there is a wider range of hiring possibilities now (e.g., an entry-level inside sales, marketing, or business developer position, etc.) to meet your true need head-on and result in a better investment of your hiring dollars. Because a company’s true needs are varied and sometimes hard to see from within, a trusted external advisor can help you to identify them.

Determine a competitive salary based on market expectations and your budget. Market research is your best approach, but you will also want to consider the scope of the position. If it is too broad and your salary is too low, it may be a losing battle. Scrutinize the description for tasks that can be outsourced at a lower rate and what tasks might be tackled with existing resources. Without research, you may be overestimating your salary offer, thereby missing out on cost savings. Web sites like salary.com and payscale.com can help you determine appropriate pay ranges for specific skill sets.

Write a professional, targeted job description. Ensure your job posting speaks the language–and meets the expectations–of its intended audience. If you aren’t sure, conduct market research or seek out this specialized knowledge.

Develop an assessment checklist for phone screening. This is an important tool to systematically determine who you will interview. After all, your time is precious and you’ll want to reserve it for the best of the best!

Approach your hiring project from all angles. If you’ve followed the advice above and put your needs out there, you’re opening the doors to all applicants. You’ll also want to reach out to pre-selected candidates who meet your requirements to provide a counterweight to the process. Be as proactive as possible. Determine what your future and ongoing needs may be and network. Use tools like LinkedIn, XING, and ZoomInfo to meet potential candidates, or outsource this data mining and cultivate the results. Join users groups and associations where potential employees for your organization might be. This can also mean proactively seeking candidates by perusing the job boards for employment-seekers if you have access. The value is that you are saving a step by prequalifying candidates; the only consideration is how much wiggle room you have in salary negotiation, should you find the perfect fit. This recruiting process also can be achieved with outside resources. “Hiring the right people at the right time can make or break a company, especially a small business. Recruiting is an ongoing activity - you should always be recruiting even if you do not have an open position,” advises Tami Heyden, Partner at Louis Heyden Group.

Create a timetable for the tasks above to ensure you stay focused and on track. All too often our good intentions become lost in the face of conflicting demands, and actual implementation of our goals is a distant memory. If you set deadlines, delegate, and hold yourself and everyone else accountable, you will have a better chance of following through.

If this hiring process takes up too much of your time or you get stuck, remember we can help you through, ultimately providing you with:
A customized, competitive description for posting that is backed by industry research with respect to responsibility and salary expectations

Reusable elements of the job posting and a standardized format for future hiring initiatives as you grow

Company-specific qualification tools to use going forward

The final result will be a professional on staff who is invested in your business and meets–or exceeds!–your requirements. Good luck!

For information on a complete support package or a la carte services, contact Tracy Diziere & Associates (http://www.tracydiziere.com) at 602-263-0650 or tracy@tracydiziere.com. For a recruiting program or assistance, contact Tami Heyden at Louis Heyden Group (http://www.louisheyden.com), 602-326-1890 or tami@louisheyden.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tracy_Diziere