We hear all the time about the importance of hiring the right people and the expanding universe of advice can be overwhelming; hire slow and fire fast, only hire the “right” candidate; ask probing questions; check all references; blah blah blah. For a small business with constantly-strained capacity it can be incredibly difficult to post a job, sort through the resumes, vet the candidates, check those references, negotiate salary and benefits packages, execute the employment agreement, and complete the HR paperwork for payroll, insurance, pension plan, etc. And only when all of that has taken place can the typically months-long on-boarding process begin and the “real” job training and actual work get started. It is an expensive process in both time and treasure and small businesses can easily do themselves great disservice by not executing well and missing the opportunity  to find the right person for the job.

For businesses looking to hire a new employee, there are a number of practical things you can do, but also some adjustments in outlook which will help a great deal in finding that perfect someone. But for now you have a problem – filling that position.

So to start, here’s why hiring sucks:

1. There’s a reason you have to hire someone.
The most likely reason that you are hiring is because someone left. Now they may have left on their own, which usually means you didn’t want them to leave and you’re already sad that they will. Or (almost as likely) you had to let them go because you weren’t happy with their work or they just weren’t right for the job. In either case there will be tension surrounding the situation and bad feelings can easily arise. 

2. It’s a ton of work.
Every time you hire a new employee there is a huge amount of work to be done: writing the job description, posting the job, reading the resumes, making the calls, interviewing the candidates (often multiple rounds), meeting to discuss the candidates, and then, when you’ve finally made the offer and it’s been accepted actually getting the person through the HR process. Whew. Im exhausted just typing this paragraph.

3. It takes time.
When a dog bonds with a person, that’s it,done deal. The end. Finito. They are friends for life That dog will ever turn on their friend and would never do anything to harm them. Entrepreneurs should learn to show the same loyalty to their team, to their investors, and to their customers. Fierce and perpetual, allegiances should be a priority for you and your team.

4. It’s gonna cost you real money.
Not just the implied cost of the work involved, or the opportunity cost incurred when you have something better (read, “more profitable”) to do, but actual the cash expense of hiring: the advertising cost of posting or the recruiters fees, the separation costs for the departing employee (unpaid vacation and sick pay, contractual obligations such as commissions due and pro-rated bonuses, etc.), the likelihood of an increased salary for the new employee, and the costs of benefits and fringes associated with the new employee. Ugh.

5. There’s a big risk involved.
Finally, there is a very real risk that you could make a bad decision and hire the wrong person. What if they’re just not competent or qualified in the way you thought they would be? What if they come to you with health problems you were unaware of? What if they don’t get along with the rest of the team and stir discord and angst?

So many things to go wrong, right? Well, here’s a list of 10 things you can do about it:

1. Write a great job decription.

The job description is a chance to strengthen your company internally and, at the same time, attract the very best people to your company by helping them understand exactly what kind of organization you are. The first part is about the job itself – what does it consists of? What are the job’s requirements and expectations? What exactly will the new employee be doing? It is crucial to list these out as well as the experience, training, and education required of the applicant to be considered. Next, the job listing itself need to include not just that information, but also information about your company: who are you? What do you do? Who else works there? What is the culture of the company and the working environment? How you write the listing is just as important as the actual content: get your best copywriter to actually write the thing – you want the tone and voice of the listing to say as much about your company as the details included. If applicants are complementing you on the great listing, you’re probably doing it right. 

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