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Helpful hints on hiring a new employee (and how to keep them!)

As a business experiences growth or needs an extra helper to help alleviate some of your mounding tasks, it’s time to invest in one of your business’s biggest assets; your employees.

A business is only ever as good as the people behind it so it comes as no surprise that small business owners should invest time into hiring staff members that ‘fit’. Fit is the key word here because the ‘best’ new hire may not be the actual hire your company needs. It’s therefore important to do your due diligence and also figure out the type of hire you need to make. This could be a full time or part time employee, a contractor or a casual staff member for a few hours per week.

We’ve developed a checklist of things to consider when hiring an employee to help your business and some tips on how to keep them engaged and manage their expectations when they come onboard.

1. Establishing your company’s culture and ‘fit’

In order to find the right staff who ‘fit’ in your business, you need to understand what is important to your company culture and establish your core values. Employees that enjoy the people they work with are generally more productive and can collaborate easier, so hiring people that reflect your business beliefs will help the fit. On top of that, reinforcing values and behaviours from the top down is critical in order to create a positive work environment.

2. Get it right from the start

When hiring a new employee, ensure they start off on the right foot with an onboarding process that helps them get to know your business. Make sure to allocate them responsibilities from day one which will give them an early sense of commitment. A study by Glassdoor found that 89 percent of employees who went through effective onboarding felt strongly integrated into their company culture. From an administration perspective, don’t forget to obtain key information from your new employees like their tax, bank account and superannuation details; helping to make the new starter process seamless.

Not only is it about the employee starting off on the right foot but getting the hiring right and setting duty expectations also empowers your employees to perform at their peak and deliver amazing service to your customers.

3. Fill the weakness gaps

When looking at hiring an employee you should evaluate what gaps there are in your business and what skills someone needs to possess to help fill them. This may mean a shift in responsibilities for existing staff or ensuring collaboration between employees in order to create a thriving workplace. It’s also important to evaluate any technology that may assist to fill any gaps and invest accordingly. 

4. Retain the people you need to succeed

The secret to retaining your staff is to recognise your business can’t function without its people. Employees want to be seen as individuals with lives that extend beyond the workplace so it’s important to listen to your employees and ask them what they want from both work and life. Business owners who find ways to fill their employees’ ‘work cup’ will not only attract and retain people more easily but also help turn their staff into brand advocates.

5. Keep your employees motivated

If your business isn’t in a position to offer your employees an increase in pay, there are ways to motivate them besides monetary incentives. Some of these include:

  • Encouraging your team members’ growth and development through training and courses
  • Ad hoc gift vouchers and rewards
  • Positive affirmation and saying thank you
  • Building trust and avoiding micromanagement
  • Flexibility
  • Asking for feedback
  • Communication on key messages enforcing the ‘why’ behind your business to make them feel part of the team and;
  • Giving your staff a voice to share ideas and help solve any problems.

These examples above are all key to any business’ success and keeping employees engaged and motivated.

Hiring a new employee can be time consuming but a good employee that ‘fits’ into your business’ culture will assist in your business success. Take the time to get it right, ensure they start off on the right foot to make them feel integrated and always continue to motivate and engage your employees so they feel part of the team.

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