Ask any employers who was their best hire and their worst hire, and they will have a story. Employers know the type of employee they want to hire but sometimes make a mistake. It is normal to want to hire those who are like ourselves, but it is unlikely that anyone will be as dedicated to the business as the owner. The best hires usually share the same values as the owner. Without those same basic values, the employment will probably be for a short period of time.
Most of the time, but not always, it is a mistake to hire friends or relatives. Although it seems to be a perfect fit since the employee already knows the individual, it is a completely different atmosphere in the work area than in the social area. It is sometimes difficult to change from friend to boss and to tell the employee what to do. Also, the employee may resent being told what to do and consider himself/herself an equal rather than an employee in the chain of command. It is important for everyone to understand his/her position on day one and keep a friendly atmosphere. It is sad to lose a friend, who is also an employee.
As a new business owner, it is important to work on your leadership skills. You hire employees, inspire them and lead them. Empower people who are talented and passionate. After you go over a resume, check out references and interview a prospect, you feel pretty good about the selection you make. It is a true joy to see that person is even better on the job than you expected.
When you have several employees, you actually have a team to manage. Team building is a new skill business owners must learn . Likewise, employees need to see where they fit on the team and understand the chain of command. As there are many types of businesses with various numbers of employees, this is general information. Social events help employees get to know each other, helping them to work together better; so planning activities outside of work is very beneficial to a business. It can improve employee performance and productivity.
Communication is the key to satisfactorily working together. As the business owner, you set the tone for the ease of communication between you and the employees and the employees with each other. The freedom to voice opinions and make suggestions makes employees feel they are important to the business and that they are an important part.
Good employees who communicate well with others will be great assets to your business, as they will naturally work together as a team to make decisions and solve problems. You will build a trust in them, and they will also trust you and appreciate the fact that you have trust in them. It is much easier for employees to work and make decisions when they feel that trust and know you will not question every judgment they make. When you hire the right employees, it is a freeing experience to trust them to work together as a team to make the right decisions for the business. It is also a great time saver for you, the business owner. It is important to remember that you can’t do everything. You hire good employees with your values to be an extension of you.
After a new business owner hires good employees who become part of the team , the business will be successful and a place where everyone wants to work. That sounds like an ideal situation, but we know none of us are perfect. An annual evaluation is the time to sit down with employees and go over their performance the past year. The best evaluation will not be a threat to an employee or something to be feared. It should be a time to compliment and to improve each employee’s performance and productivity. No matter how small your business, this is an important time. It can offset any problems that might arise, and it can keep the line of communication open.
Good luck with your newly purchased business, and may all your hires be in the Best Hire category!
