Finding the right staff for your business

Finding the right staff for your business is worth the effort. While you, as an SME owner, are understandably busy running the business daily, failing to dedicate time to finding the right staff when recruiting for a role can be more damaging than you think. 

In a smaller firm like an SME, a bad hire can impact the wider team, lowering morale and leading to higher workloads for others if a new hire doesn’t perform or leaves the business. 

A bad hiring choice who leaves is costly for your business as the hiring process, including posting job advertisements, interviews and onboarding a replacement, has to be redone.

Finding the right staff for your business –  job descriptions 

Finding the right staff for your business starts with a specific and detailed job description. Be clear about role responsibilities so there’s no misunderstanding about role duties.

When finding the right staff for your business, the job description should also set out the type of personality fit desired and details about your company culture. 

If your business needs an enthusiastic team player, make that clear in the job description, or you might mistakenly hire someone who prefers solo work, which could lead to tension.

If your business is a highly sociable place, make that clear in the job description in terms of workplace culture, which includes workplace values, environment and shared beliefs, so any potential hires know the workplace culture they are entering. This also helps the candidate figure out if the fit is right for them.

Finding the right staff for your business –  interviews 

The goal of finding the right staff for your business continues during the interview stage.

Interviewing for a culture fit matters if you want to hire the right staff for your business who will remain long-term. Assessing for a culture fit includes whether a candidate’s personality, work style and values align with your business. 

Examples of culture fit questions include: how they handle criticism and feedback, what their dream work environment is, what forms of company culture matter to them, and how they manage conflict and good communication.

During the interview, you should also ask questions to determine personality fit for the role. 

If the role involves lots of client and customer-facing time, ask questions that assess their natural empathy, like when they went the extra mile for a customer, or examples of when they had to adapt communication styles for clients or colleagues.

Also assess for work ethic during interviews, like asking for examples of when they had to juggle multiple tasks under time pressure or how they improved a process at work. 

A good work ethic is important in any role, but if you are advertising for a role which involves lots of self-motivation, independent work, or sales generation, it’s essential.

To find the right staff for your business, put time and effort into thinking who you really want and make it clear in the job description and during interviews, and you’re more likely to find the right candidate for the role, who will perform well and stay in the business.

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