For the most part, people start their business because they are be exceptional at what they do. Be it a Baker, Heavy duty mechanic, Welder or Dentist, most are initially energized to get a business up and running because they do it well or can “do it a lot better” than their previous employer did it in the past.
In addition to the above, people dream of financial independence and subsequently having the opportunity to live their lives with significantly more time and overall freedom that they had before the inspiring vision of running their own “gig”. Anyone that decides to do this, deserves the utmost respect from anyone that doesn’t dare to enter the realm of entrepreneurship and general business building.
The first steps of building a business are daunting for most to say the least, but what really paralyzes the business owner with fear and trepidation, is when a decision needs to be made to hire their first employee(s).
The mere thought of having to find someone that cares and has the passion just like they do, is quite frankly a deal breaker for most. In fact, many business owners are literally stopped in their tracks in growing their business because of this pending decision.
The first steps of building a business are daunting, but what really paralyzes the business owner with fear is when a decision needs to be made to hire their first employee(s). #HR #smallbusiness #hiring Share on XThis scenario is not due to not wanting to hire employees to grow their business, but due to the business owner having very little idea of how to make this a successful exercise and as such, ensuring they are hiring the right person to help take care of what they have worked night and day to build. The last thing a business owner needs is for some “screwball” to come in and mess up something that needs ongoing nurturing and passion to ensure continued and sustained success.
So… what to do? In my mind, there are two options one can take.
Option 1
Don’t hire employees and remain self-employed and accept your business not scaling to what you desire it to be.
Option 2
Learn how to ensure you can identify and select the right person for your business the first time around.
If you decided on the second option above, then continue reading…it may be the best decision you’ll ever make for yourself and your business.
Answer to the following two questions and you will be on your way to reducing paralyzing fear and indecisiveness. Make this a reality and guarantee yourself the skills and ability to hire a superstar for your business. Someone you can trust and rely on with no hesitation.
Your 2 critical questions are:
Question 1
If this job that I need to fill could talk, what kind of behaviours would the job be asking for to ensure superior performance? For example, would the job want someone that shows a sense of urgency? Would the job want someone that shows a need to be analytical and a focus on detail in the job?
Question 2
If this job that I need to fill could talk, how would it say it motivates someone in the role (i.e. what kind of individual would be motivated by the tasks the job needs to be executed day-to-day)? For example, does the job demand tasks/duties that require someone who enjoys interacting with people on a regular basis? Or does it require someone to perform tasks/duties that are behind closed doors for most of the day etc.?
To get started, ask yourself the above two questions relative to your own job as follows:
Question 1
If my job as Business Owner/CEO or President could talk, what specific behaviours does my job ask for ensuring I perform at a superior level for my business?
Example behaviours you could think of when answering this question are:
Competitiveness – The job exists within a demanding environment where consistently winning is critical. The job demands tenacity, boldness, assertiveness and a “will to win” in dealing with highly competitive situations. (Copyright © 2006-2015. Target Training International, Ltd.)
Urgency – *The job requires decisiveness, quick response, fast action. It will often involve critical situations demanding on-the-spot decision making using good judgment. The job will repeatedly face important deadlines that must be met on time.
Question 2
If my job as Business Owner/CEO or President could talk, what specific aspects of my job motivate or reward me in the job i.e. what juices me up.
Example motivators you could think of when answering this question are:
Receptive – *People who are driven by new ideas, methods and opportunities.
Resourceful – *People who are driven by practical results, maximizing both efficiency and returns for their investments of time, talent, energy and resources.
So, ask yourself this question; if I as the business owner could significantly increase the chances of finding “another one of me” (i.e. up to 93% improvement!), would I be motivated to ask myself the two critical questions before I decide to hire someone?
If so, work through the questions. I promise you, you will not be disappointed with the insane amount of insight the answers to these questions will give you and as mentioned, significantly reduce your anxiety and risk in growing your business with new people.
About the Author
Bruce Baker has a long rich history of working with fortune 500 companies in their Operations and Human Resources functions. In recent years, Bruce has devoted his attention to to turning failing small and mid-sized business around and helping growing business scale. All of this has been accomplished through the process of “business building”. Business Building unwinds the unnecessary complexity into simplistic, yet sophisticated business practices. Find Bruce at 4workplaces.com.