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As a small business owner, every employee you hire is a crucial part of your team. Employees who dodge responsibility, fail to address customer concerns, or just don't care are significant liabilities to any enterprise, all the more so when the company is small. Companies only succeed when everyone works together as a team --whether it's to help make products, deal honestly with suppliers, or interact with customers.
That's why hiring staff is one of the most important challenges for anyone getting a small business off the ground. Filling a position with the "right" person is more complicated than simply matching a job description to a job applicant's skills -- though crafting a realistic job description is an important first step. Being prepared to hire staff means putting thought into what kind of questions to ask a job applicant and anticipating what kind of person will work best with you -- as well as with everyone else, including your customers.
There are also legal issues to consider. Some questions are off-limits (for example, it's illegal to ask whether a job applicant is married); but by all means, don't worry so much about all the rules that it takes the fun out of picking your future colleagues. A little preparation will give you the freedom to enjoy the process.
- Meet Jack Guarnieri, owner of Pinball Sales, who talks about how important truck drivers are to his business, and the challenges of finding the right person for the job.
- Access articles on
creating an effective job description, little-known hiring resources, classifying contract workers, new hire paperwork, what you can't ask in a job interview, tips for successful interviewing, and hiring: do you know how to pick them?
- Find out Deborah Keary's answer to the question, "I need to hire employees who will be handling money. Do you think giving personality tests would be useful?"
- Read a profile of Carolyn Thompson, president of Training Systems in Frankfort, Ill., a human resources consulting and training firm.
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