Running a business solo can only take you so far, especially if you have ambitions for growth. The time may come when you’ll need to add some more faces to your business, helping you achieve new goals and take your business further. Hiring extra employees can also make things easier for you, easing some of the pressure and lightening the workload so that everything doesn’t fall to you all the time.
But hiring team members can feel like a big step. Not only do you need to make sure you hire the right people, but it also sets out a new role for you as a leader. Suddenly, you’re not just responsible for your own workload, but you have to guide, support and motivate others too.
Learn how to build a strong and reliable team that will support your growing business and help it thrive.
Be clear about what you need
You know you need help to make your business work, but how do you narrow down exactly what you need? This is why it’s important to take your time to think about your business’ needs. Do you need help processing orders? Dealing with customer service or marketing?
Conduct a deep dive into where your time is being spent and which areas are bringing value to the business. From there, you can make some short and long-term hiring plans, and put a timeline in place for when you’d like to get those roles in place.
Consider alternative ways to hire
Finding the right talent isn’t always easy. If you’re frustrated by traditional hiring methods, then you could explore alternative ways to recruit employees. From trial periods to employee referral schemes, there are different ways you can go about it to help you get the right fit.
Another option is to consider using freelancers. Freelancers may want the flexibility of working with other companies, or doing some additional work to their full-time jobs. There could be some great working patterns to consider to help you meet the needs of your business, helping you secure some amazing talent to help your business succeed.
Set out firm job roles and responsibilities
If you want to help your team excel at their jobs, then it needs to be clear what you need them to do. This means having firm job descriptions that will help set out exactly what’s expected, and ensure their time is filled appropriately. As time goes on, you can adjust these to provide more responsibility where needed, in line with promotions, pay increases and additional hires.
But it’s not just job descriptions that need to be clear. Every business should have values that it expects its employees to embody. Setting some clear expectations for employees can include expectations around attitudes, working patterns and communication, as well as embodying company values. Having these clear at the beginning can unify your team, and ensure everyone starts off on the same page.
Help them grow alongside you
You will expect a lot from your employees, and they will expect a lot from you. Progression is important for maintaining morale and productivity, and you can work with your team to help them become the very best at what they do. From training to promotion opportunities, there are different ways you can support employees, while also helping them stay and grow within your business.
Understanding the talent you have at your disposal can also help you maximise potential. Using talent management professionals can help you learn what motivates your employees, and how you can use this to help them thrive. It can also help you identify any talent gaps you may have that can be filled with new roles in the future.
Make the business’ success their success
You may be the business owner, but the success of your company relies on your team too. Rewarding your employees can help show that their work is valued and that they are very much a part of the bigger picture. When your business achieves success, it’s important to share this with your team. Enjoy celebrations and remember to thank individuals for their part in achievements – this can mean a lot to employees and help them develop loyalty towards your company.
Creating a supportive workplace can help your teams gel together and create excellent working relationships. Work environments can shape mental health, focus and energy, and you can actively create a strong workplace by focusing on your employees. Building an office space they’ll love is one element of it, but it’s important to focus on creating an environment they’ll love too.
With the right team around you, anything is possible. So work hard on building and supporting yours to help you enjoy long-term business success.
Photo by Product School on Unsplash
