Yes, we are hiring. Being a small business, each new hire will shape our culture and our direction. Each hire is strategic. Each hire needs to complement the rest of our team. Here are some best practices we are following through our hiring journey:
Hiring for Fit – Each company has its own unique culture stemming from the owner’s vision, the employees’ daily operations and the Company’s direction. If nothing else, a good fit can shorten the ramp up time of a new hire significantly. Fit needs to be a key component of the reference check.
Have a hiring scorecard – I’m a believer of Scorecards. Like all things here at Change Connect, we don’t leave things to chance. If you can minimize the risk of hiring by mere statistical analysis, we are all over it. That said, you don’t have to subscribe to Plum. See if you can embed a multi-dimensional scoring system in your behavioural interviews.
Never stop hiring – Don’t give up a chance to meet a potential hire even when you don’t have a budgeted headcount. Take the time to network at industry events or have a coffee with a referral. When you start to look when you desperately need a body, the chances are, it’s too late.
Start with a contract – Whether it’s apprenticeship, freelance or short term contract, the best way to evaluate a candidate is an in-action assessment. This gives a chance for the Company and the potential hire to assess whether a long term arrangement can work.
Our advice - Don’t skimp on the recruitment process. Be patient. Every person plays a pivotal role in your business’s daily operations. The right hire will help you get to your end goal faster; the wrong one will derail you.
