3 CANDIDATES WHO DISPLAY THESE TRAITS WILL DO WELL IN YOUR SMALL GROUP

For a small or new company, the choice to expand by hiring more employees is a major step forward. You may have deliberated over the merits of an increased staff size for some time, or you may have been unaware of the need to hire until recent expansion forced your hand. Budget, recruitment strategies, job descriptions, screening, research processes, interviewing techniques, and more all need to be taken into account when making a hire.

However, many owners of small firms and startups don’t ask themselves the crucial question “Will this individual flourish in a small team?” before making hires.

Personality conflicts are less likely to arise on larger teams. This is not a luxury small teams can afford to have. It is crucial for small teams to hire people who are willing to work together and build rapport. Hiring high-performers who are cooperative and open to new ideas is crucial for a startup because of the high speed of business.

BEGIN WITH A ROCK-SOLID JOB SUMMARY

Small businesses risk going bankrupt if the employment process is rushed or poorly handled. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) estimates that it can cost as much as ₹240,000 to find, hire, and train a new employee. A terrible hire can waste your time and resources, and before you know it, you’ll be looking for new employees again.

Creating a detailed and truthful job description can set you up for success. This may appear to be obvious, but in practise, many people treat it as busywork and rush through it. Keep in mind that a job description written for recruitment purposes differs from one written for internal use.

Here are the dos and don’ts of creating a job description 

Do: 

• Two sentences should be sufficient to introduce the position and its requirements.
• Identify the absolute requirements..
• Show the company’s culture with pictures or maybe a film. Never fear about hiring a firm. Casual cell phone videos can be just as effective.
• Make the copy reflect the values of your company..
• If the new recruit will be working closely with other employees on a regular basis, it is important to get their input to ensure that the job description accurately reflects their expectations. Hiring managers and candidates can have a hard time communicating due to a lack of clarity between current employees.

Don’t: 

• In other words, you shouldn’t rely on a cookie-cutter format. The number of job postings that potential employees peruse is enormous. In order to stand out, you must.
• Avoid using hyperbole, cliches, and abbreviations. The most qualified applicants may be discouraged by this and decide not to apply.
• Avoid sexist and ageist words. Confusing potential employees by using discriminatory terminology is a waste of time.
• Make sure the summary doesn’t go on for more than a page. It’s likely that prospective employees are perusing a large number of postings. Improve the likelihood of yours being read by keeping it brief and focused.

Taking these steps before an interview will increase the quality of the applicants you receive and increase the likelihood that you will be offered the position. Applicants should then demonstrate these next three qualities:

1. PEOPLE WHO ARE OK WITH THE UNCERTAINTY THAT THEY WILL BE UNCOMFORTABLE

The members of a small team are expected to take on multiple roles. They may also be asked to help out in other areas, even if they aren’t directly related to their job. Some people find it difficult to try out new activities in order to acquire new abilities. Because of this, you should look for workers who aren’t afraid to do new things and aren’t afraid to take on responsibilities in which they have less experience.

It’s not inherently a bad thing, but [business workers] may be predisposed to solely working in their lane and not collaborating across departments,” says Joey Price, CEO of Jumpstart: HR, warning against hiring certain sorts of corporate personnel. Whoever you choose, make sure they are willing to do everything it takes to succeed.

Group interviews, game-like simulations, and afternoons spent shadowing are all viable options for assessing candidates in this regard.

2. PROACTIVE AND INTELLIGENT TIME-MANAGEMENT SKILLS IN APPLICANTS

Look for those who can make the most of their time by working efficiently rather than just putting in extra hours. The ability to adapt quickly is essential for any small firm, but especially one that is expanding. As your company expands, you’ll need the ability to scale quickly, but you might not always be able to do it by adding staff. If you’re trying to grow your business but have a small team, it’s better to hire people who can think on their feet and come up with creative solutions to problems than to hire people who always need more help.

Workers that are resourceful know that there are better methods to handle a large workload than staying up all night.

3. SEEKING PROACTIVE CANDIDATES

When deciding to hire more people, it’s likely that decreasing your personal workload is high on your list of priorities. Find employees who can handle tasks independently, not only those who are willing to take on more responsibility. No manager is ever going to say no to a worker who volunteers to take on more responsibility. The idea is meaningless if management or other employees have to step in and do the work because the employee requires constant reminders and reassurance or can’t seem to get anything done on their own.

Possessing the uncanny knack for knowing what the leaders and other members of a small team will need before they ask for it is a priceless asset in a high-pressure startup environment. Interviewees should be questioned about instances in which they shown initiative by resolving issues before they were brought to the notice of the team.

It might be stressful trying to find a good candidate for an open position in your organisation. After all, it’s not cheap to expand a small business by hiring new people, and it’s on their shoulders that the company’s future culture will be established. Particular care must be taken when making first recruiting decisions.