hiring
Three businesspeople welcoming you

By Jeriann Watkins

If you’re new to entrepreneurship and facing the task of hiring employees for the first time, have no fear. Managers and administrators face a lot of ethical dilemmas in all fields, particularly when it comes to making staffing decisions.  There are a lot of things to consider when hiring personnel, especially in today’s economic climate. But there is also a lot of research into the art of hiring and what makes a great employee. Below are some items to consider.

Skills Can Be Learned, Personality Can’t

There’s been a lot of talk about the skills gap in the last couple of years, and it still is a major problem across many industries. Students simply aren’t graduating with the skills they need to enter the workforce.

There are ways that businesses can address the larger issue of the skills gap in their local communities, with community outreach, job training, and school collaborations. But managers can also look at what skills are actually required to start a job and which can be learned, and choose to hire based on personality instead.

Personality and talent dictate a lot about how an employee will affect the company and complete their job tasks. Focusing on talent in the hiring process means paying attention what a prospect is naturally good at and how those talents can foster growth in the company.

By being willing to engage in a bit of technical skills training, managers can hire people with personalities that will grow the company and lead to long term success. Focusing on talents like empathy, leadership, and organization will help you hire better employees than focusing on typing speed and familiarity with specific computer programs.

Hiring Right is Better Than Hiring Now

Hiring is an expensive process. It takes personnel time to conduct interviews, vet prospects, and train new hires. A manager should never settle for someone who they don’t believe will be a long term benefit to their team. It’s important to hire the right people, who will contribute to the company’s long term goals.

How do you hire great employees? It starts with accurately writing the job description and looking in the right places for recruits.  Read this comprehensive guide to hiring great employees for more details and advice.

If you’re having difficulty finding the right applicants, try the following strategies:

  • Alter the job description to better target your desired applicant pool
  • Consider hiring internally or re-organizing existing positions to fill the current need
  • Expand your radius. Consider bringing in someone from afar. There are a lot of factors to consider around corporate relocation, but bringing in someone with the talent and experience you need could be worth the extra costs.

It’s important to discuss the company’s hiring policies and needs with HR, as well as your superiors. If you start these conversations as you make your first hires, you can start building a robust hiring strategy and system that will benefit the company for years to come.

Do you have hiring tips for new managers? Share in the comments!

Jeriann Watkins Ireland is a blogger with years of experience bouncing in and out of middle management. You can see her other business articles at Idea Cafe and here on Small Biz Daily.