What You Need to Know Before Hiring Your Next Employee

“Hire character. Train skill.”

When business is steadily coming in and you’re struggling to keep up, sooner or later you’ll have to hire someone. But bringing someone in to work for you can make or break your business. You may agree with what Peter Schutz, then CEO of Porsche, accurately observed. Good attitude is important. But a job candidate without skills on the other hand will not benefit your company.

You can avoid costly mistakes and waste of time by going through these important points.

Your Biggest Need

If your business can support another worker then you have to decide what type of worker to hire. Here are two ways to solve this problem.

Identify where you need help. Think about where the biggest need in your company exists. Are you getting so busy with administrative tasks?  Do you have enough time available for business planning and growth activities? The clear choice is to hire an administrative assistant. This is so you could have more time for the management activities of your business. Do you need another hand with repairs and IT support? Then hiring another tech is the practical choice.

Complement your skills. You may be the best computer technician in town but you lack the strategic knowledge on how to grow a business. If this is a problem for you then hiring a manager or chief financial officer could help fill the gaps.

There’s really no out-of-the-book answer for every business. You’ll have to sit down and think thoroughly about what your company needs. And decide what minimal skill you’d want your new employee to have.

Check the Attitude

There’s no telling outright what one’s personality is just by looking. You would need to know how your applicant will react to certain situations. This will give you a glimpse of the real person. And the best way to draw out someone is by asking questions. By this, you will be able to tell if you have found the right person by the way your job applicant answers. So consider asking the following questions.

1.Is there anything you’d like to change in our business?
This question does two things. First, it gives you insight into how candidates will express their opinion. And how they’d verbalize it if they see something they don’t like. Will they talk honestly about the problem and then immediately suggest a solution? Or will they tell you that your business is perfect when in reality, it probably isn’t?

This also gives you a chance to hear about their problem-solving skill. One good mark of a suitable employee is to see the positive side of your business first. Then point key areas to improve and suggest ways to do this. It will also show what chance would they have of fixing problems when they’re working for you. The best employees can solve problems fast and on their own.

2. Are you currently reading any book?
Passionate people tend to read books or listen to audio books to improve their skills. Whether they are reading about sales or books about self-development doesn’t matter. They are all good signs.

If they haven’t read an educational book for some time, this could spell a lack of drive for self-improvement. Your well balanced employees are always looking for ways to enhance their knowledge and skills. They are always learning and absorbing new information. So if your applicant is quite happy with fiction books, then that’s not really a promising sign.

3. What do you do in your spare time?

Balance is an important part of success. And excellent workers strive to do well in most areas of their life. This includes physical fitness, relationships, and continuous learning.

As an example, if your prospect has time for gym workout during weekdays,  then it’s a good sign. Add to that volunteering on some community service on Saturdays or learning a programming language. These are all great ways to live a balanced life. People who are goal-oriented and who value achievement translate into balanced workers. Their attitude of continually looking to improve themselves will translate into their job.

Do Your Homework

Finally, you should remember that hiring an employee isn’t as simple as offering  money. And expecting them to do the work you describe. Of course, there are many different laws that govern the employee-employer relationship. It all depends on your state and your industry. And you definitely don’t want to find out about these when you’re taken to court. So learn about these early on, and make sure to comply.

You can save yourself time, money and legal headaches from employee disputes. If you hadn’t done so, consult a lawyer from the start. Paying for a lawyer to review your contract is a great way to invest for your company’s long-term growth. And of course, a great skillset can be attractive in an applicant. But a great attitude can go a long way too.