Hiring new people sounds like a long and tiring process whether it be that you need to fill a new position, you need the extra help, a team member left, or you need to replace someone. Sometimes we have to find someone fast, but you still need them to be qualified for the job. Often times we sacrifice good, quality work because the applicant has the availability. This doesn’t have to be the case if you have an organized system and you have a plan!
The idea of hiring someone new and having to put some things on hold due to the time needed to train someone new can be stressful. However, when you have the right tools needed to make this transition seamless, it doesn’t have to be such a pain. Here is what you will need and what you need to do to make this transition smooth sailing!
When making your job description, make sure you list down all of the tasks they will have to perform. Be specific! Do they have to know these skills beforehand or can they learn it on the job? What kind of personality traits would be good for the job? List the big tasks and also the little ones so that the applicant will have a clear idea of what they will be doing. If your previous worker has time to do this before they leave, even better! They may have a better idea of the exact things the next person will need to be able to do.
Under the job description, list the qualifications that are needed in order to be a legitimate applicant. Some qualifications can be things like: high school diploma needed, 1 year marketing experience, referrals listed, resume and cover letter sent to our email, etc. This will screen the applicants to make sure they are eligible for the job. You can also list here that no experience is required if that is the case!
A lot of job posting sites allow you to ask screening questions. These can be professional questions:
-How many years of Photoshop experience do you have?
-What companies have you worked with before?
-What are your weaknesses and how do you plan on improving on them?
-What social platforms do you see the most effective in 2020?
-What does “marketing” mean to you?
-How would you deal with a client who did not like your work?
-What is one thing you would do to be a good team member?
Or it can be fun questions. Or a mixture of both!
-What is your favorite ice cream?
-What sport did you play as a kid?
-What is a food you would never eat?
-What do you think of garden gnomes?
Have the applicant complete a project. This will make sure they are a good fit, they can communicate well, they can follow directions, they can think for themselves, and that they are willing to do what it takes. It may take being out of their comfort zone and doing something new! A good project to assign is to have them make a video about themselves. Instead of having them send in their Word document resume and cover letter, have them make a video of all the same information instead.
Here is an example of what you could say:
“Make a video of yourself answering these questions: Where are you from and what hobbies do you engage in? What was your top 2 favorite jobs you have done and what was your favorite part about them? Why do you think you would be fit for this job? What is your availability? What parts of the job description would you be good at? What is your favorite restaurant right now? Simple edits are OK, but not needed.”
If the position is for someone in graphic design, give them an assignment that you would typically give to your designer to see how they would perform the task.
These projects will help you to get an idea of the applicant’s skills, what their personality/energy is like, their technical skills, and will show you that they are willing to do what it takes to get the job.
When you narrow down your search to about 3-5 people, you can then set up your interviews. To save time and be the most efficient, do video call interviews! This is especially good for positions where someone will be working remotely. This will be the closest you get to being in-person! If it is easy for you to be in person, do so!
Remember that the person is most likely nervous, so don’t make it even worse for them! Ask questions that are relevant to the job, which may stray away from the usual, “What are 3 strengths and weaknesses you have?”
A way to put your toes in the water instead of diving into the deep is to hire for a part-time position. This makes it so that you don’t set their position in stone. This part-time duration will show you the person’s work ethic and how they fit in with your team. If they aren’t a good fit for the job, their time will be up after that part-time duration! If they are a good fit, you can then offer them a full-time position!
Create a team culture where each team member feels like they make an impact to your business. Make work exciting by celebrating wins, finding cool projects to be involved with, doing activities as a team, and simply talking with one another.
Remember to compliment your team members to make them feel special and affirm that they are doing their job right! If you never say anything, they may get complacent and never reach for higher goals. Motivating your team members can inspire them to want to work harder and over deliver on their tasks. However, don’t compliment them for the hopes of this outcome only! What it comes down to is finding the right people to be a part of your team!
If a team member is not doing what they are supposed to be doing or they are just doing the bare minimum, that deserves something to be said as well. It’s all about the way you say things as a leader. Instead of saying all of the things someone is doing wrong, how about starting with the things they are doing right and then offering some advice on how to improve on other things. As a leader, you need to give your team all of the necessary tools to be great at their job.
You can also motivate through incentives. If a team member gets your sales up to X amount, how about giving them a raise. You can also start a commission program! The main goal is to keep all of your workers with your company by keeping them happy and making them feel accomplished.
If you need to go through the process of hiring, don’t worry! All you need to do is have your job description and qualifications written out, and then find the right channels to put your post on. You can post on your social media platforms and also use word of mouth to get the job opening out! There are also sites like Indeed and Jobs.com where people are specifically looking for jobs that are within the title you’re looking for! Even boost your job postings!
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