The majority of small business owners go into business because they’re passionate about their field, or about making money in general. One aspect to growing a business entrepreneurs often find challenging is hiring the right staff members to suit their goals.
SurePayroll, an online payroll service, recently surveyed its small-business owner customers and discovered that three out of four have made hiring mistakes on at least one occasion that have cost the company thousands of dollars.
Michael Alter, president and CEO of SurePayroll, offers this checklist.
Is the candidate a cultural fit: Figuring out if this is a “yes” should be first and foremost, even before you dig into a candidate’s skills and experience. Cultural fit is more important than many other attributes since hiring an employee who doesn’t fit can result in lower morale.
Have at least two employees interview the candidate: In many small businesses, it’s the business owner or office manager who chooses the candidates. Chances are you or the manager will not be the only people working with the candidate. Besides you, at least two employees should interview the candidate and be able to answer “yes” to the question above about cultural fit.
Can the candidate pass an assessment test: Just because a candidate looks good on paper doesn’t mean he or she will be able to follow through with excellent work.
Can the candidate pass a background check: Background checks will ensure you’re not risking your business by hiring a violent criminal, white-collar criminal or illegal alien. With nearly half of all small business job applicants submitting resumes with false information, having professionals check for red flags can help keep your business out of harm’s way.
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