Hiring Tips for Entrepreneurs

Hiring the right employees is an important task for every business, regardless of its size. If you’re running a small to midsize business however, it’s absolutely imperative. That’s because each new hire you make represents a significant percentage of your total workforce. Below, we offer some tips to help you nail the interview process and hire the perfect candidate.

Cast a Wide Net

Want to find the right person? Look for them in the right places! Once you’ve hammered out your job description, post it to relevant job search sites. For a list of the 15 most popular ones, click here.

Let the Candidate Talk

The whole purpose of conducting an interview is to learn as much about a potential candidate as possible. Be sure to ask open ended questions during your interviews. Then, listen carefully to the answers each candidate provides. Remember – the more they talk, the more you’ll learn about them.

Include Current Employees in the Process

You may be making the final hiring decision, but it’s your other employees who will be working most closely with your new hire. Have a candidate you like? Before you make them an offer, consider inviting your current employees to sit in on a portion of your interview. Then, solicit their feedback. Doing so will give you a chance to gauge how your prospective new hire will fit in with your current team and culture.

Don’t Settle

Not entirely sure about a potential hire? KEEP LOOKING. After all, chances are if you’re not completely comfortable with a candidate now, you’ll just be hiring their replacement in the very near future, anyway. Take the time to find the right person for the job and you’ll help reduce turnover later on.

Know What You’re Not Allowed to Ask by Law

Compiling your list of interview questions? Make sure you avoid any and all questions that could land you in hot water legally. These include questions related to race, nationality, religion and so forth. For a complete list of questions you’ll need to avoid, click here.

Hire Candidates Who Require Less Hand Holding

If you’re running a business, you already have a million things to get done. Hiring staff that you will need to micromanage will only add to your to-do list. Instead, look to hire candidates who you think will be able to perform their jobs with minimal supervision.

Consider Video Interviews

Having trouble squeezing interviews into your busy schedule? You can always conduct video interviews with candidates on the fly. Applications like Skype allow you to video chat on your computer, tablet or even your cellphone.

Move Quickly

Have a candidate you really like? Move quickly to make them an offer. Remember, the more qualified the person you’re interviewing is, the more job opportunities they are likely to have. Don’t let indecision cause you to lose a candidate you want to hire to a competitor.