Hiring people can be one of the most scary aspects of owning a small business.
But if you plan on growing your cleaning business beyond being a solo act, you are going to have to take the plunge.
The hard part of the hiring process is judging the applicants fairly. Lets use the Olympics as an example. Most everyone knows that judges score the events in Olympic competition. Each judge is basing their score on a consistent criteria.
In other words, each judge is on the same page (with each other) and they know what to look for in a winner (and loser). You need to approach the process the same way. This is accomplished by having a system in place that allows you to only hire the people who score highly.
Now with all that said, many people still make the same mistakes over and over again. Of course you won’t be among them because we are going to go over the main problems people make right now.
Keep this list of common hiring mistakes in mind as you create your own hiring process. Remember, you need a system to be consistent. It’s not wise to just “wing it” on such an important part of your business. Even if you’re not hiring right now, by creating a hiring system, you’ll be prepared when the time comes.
7 Mistakes You Want To Avoid When Hiring People
Assuming you need to hire someone. If you’re considering hiring a new employee, the very first thing you need to ask yourself is this, “Am I really sure I need to hire someone”.
Make sure you consider all of the options you have at your disposal (besides hiring someone) to produce the result you want. When you have thought the process through, and you still are convinced you need someone, then move forward with the process.
Having a candidate pool that is too small. Take the time to build a list of candidates that contains several qualified people. Make sure they meet the needs of your cleaning company.
If you don’t have to make a “tough” choice among several qualified candidates, then your candidate pool is too small. Don’t ever “settle” for someone. If you don’t have the right person for the job, it’s better to reopen your search.
Hiring someone on the spot. Someone once said that hiring decisions are made in the first seven seconds of an interview. You heard right, seven seconds. This of course means that most hiring decisions are made from an emotional perspective. In other words, the candidate just “feels right”.
While trusting your instinct is good for the most part, you need to be objective as well. Your hiring decisions are some of the most important decisions you can make in your business. In other words, sleep on it. This prevents you from moving too quickly and making an emotional choice.
Not pre-screening candidates. A half hour phone call can do wonders to save time down the road. You get to discover whether the candidate has the skills you need before ever bringing them in for an interview. You could also screen for applicants who expect a salary that is out of your league. This is a big time saver you need to take advantage of.
“Selling” the company. If you feel like you need to convince a candidate that your company is “the best place to work and you really should come work for us”, then you’ve got a major glitch in the hiring process. Begging people to work for you is a poor strategy and it invites disaster down the road.
Failing to prepare for the interviews. You wouldn’t build a house without a plan. Why is it then that people think they can put so little planning into interviewing candidates for positions within their company?
You need to create a plan in advance. Which types of questions should be asked? In what order should the questions be asked? How much time will I spend with each candidate? The bottom line here is to have a plan in advance for the big day. You’ll be happy you had one!
Hiring someone based purely on skill. Don’t hire anyone based only on the candidate’s skill set. You need to be looking for skill and attitude. Look for the right attitude because you can always train the right candidate in the skills of the job, but you can never change anyone.
Well there you have it. Some useful information that should help you from making the mistakes that so many people make in the hiring process. Of course I was guilty of virtually all of them when I first started, so you get to learn from someone with first hand experience. So take it from me, someone who learned the hard way. If you do, you will be way ahead of the game!