Recruitment is right up there as one of the challenges keeping us business owners awake at night. From knowing when to recruit, through to effective on-boarding and staff management, the entire process can pretty much feel like our worst nightmare. We did our homework, uncovering a few fundamental floors in how businesses recruit. We can’t guarantee you a great night’s sleep, after all you’re a business owner, however follow our 10 do’s and don’ts and we promise recruitment shouldn’t be the reason you’re awake at night.
1. DON’T recruit on a whim, because you think you need more resource, or you’ve had a couple of good months and the capital is potentially there to do so. You’ll simply create risk, cost and distraction.
1. DO identify, prioritise and recruit ONLY the specific resources required to meet your business objectives and check the numbers with your accountant, make sure you can afford it.
2. DON’T jump to any sudden conclusions that you need to recruit.
2. DO ensure you’ve explored alternative options such as outsourcing. There are some exceptionally skilled service providers in the MSME world, potentially delivering twice the impact, for similar or lower cost and no full-time commitment.
3. DON’T think you know who you need, KNOW who you need. Recruit with purpose.
3. DO look at the skills and experience in your business today, even if that’s just you. Weigh up the contrasting skills and experience you need, evaluate the gaps, recruit new and additional skills.
4. DON’T assume others know your mind or will be another you. You have a responsibility to both yourself and any applicant, to fully demonstrate what is to be expected of the successful individual once in the role.
4. DO write a job description. This is the only way you will recruit effectively. Clearly state what you need of your recruit, including a list of core skills and experience required to deliver the role effectively.
5. DON’T under any circumstances promote existing staff, or spread the required workload amongst existing staff because it’s easier, cheaper and the path of least resistance.
5. DO put internal candidates for the position through the same interview process as any external applicant.
6. DON’T expect this whole recruitment process to be over in one, two or three weeks, with your world suddenly back in order or looking better.
6. DO ensure you’re realistic about the time, money and resource you’re about to invest. Plan and prep the process to advertise, engage, on board, train and manage. Thoroughly understand any impact on you and your business throughout this period, prior to pressing the GO button.
7. DON’T just spread the word you need someone, meet down the café for a coffee and recruit them because they seem a nice person. In most instances this will lead to disappointment for you both.
7. DO interview professionally. Use the job description you’ve created, ask the applicant to demonstrate where they’ve delivered similar tasks or objectives, in a similar environment, to those you require. If you have any doubt whatsoever about their ability, WALK AWAY.
8. DON’T ever commence employing someone without a good solid employment contract. This doesn’t mean a doctored draft from a mate of a mate, it will end up a catastrophe.
8. DO ensure you have a professionally prepared employment contract. These exist to protect both us as an employer, and the employee.
9. DON’T set a probation period and then simply ignore, overlook or forget it. Over 90% over new recruits in MSMEs sail past their probation period without business owners even realising. BIG mistake.
9. DO ensure you apply and manage a probation period. Diarise regular reviews with your recruit during the initial 3 months. Probation periods are there for a reason, to protect both the employer and the employee. There can often be the potential to extend them if required, which again needs to be done officially.
10. DON’T be afraid to recruit, simply recruit well.
10. DO follow these guidelines. Engage experts in planning the business needs, recruitment and Human Resources. Sure, there’s a cost to this, however it’s a fraction of the time, distraction and capital you’ll waste in poorly recruiting any role, large or small. As business owners, individually we’re great at what we do. We can’t be great at everything. Gomentum have a real passion to help business owners avoid tripping up the shared challenges we face. Our articles aren’t here to put you off these exciting circumstances, they exist to help you do a better job, first time, and to prevent costly mistakes.
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