November 23, 2022
As small business owners, sometimes it seems like all we do is plan and map out timelines for our business. Hiring is no different! There are a lot of steps that come before and after the initial hiring process that contribute to a successful hiring strategy, but once you get going, and you run through the process once or twice, you’ll be a pro in no time! No matter what your previous experience looks like, we always learn more and more every time we help a client or business hire their newest team member.
No matter what, you have to set up a realistic hiring timeline. If it’s your first hire, this will require more work on the front end in order to stay compliant and build a culture of success for your team. This process may look different for each business, as every company’s needs and goals are unique. However, there are some general rules of thumb that every company should be aware of.
The biggest mistake we see businesses make, from an HR standpoint, is not preparing to hire employees before you are absolutely under water. We get it, it’s a busy time, and if you’re hiring employees it’s because your workload is rapidly expanding and you don’t have the time to plan out your team and HR strategy beforehand.
So how do you grow your team with a well planned out hiring strategy, while also taking on a maximum workload as your business expands?
You set a realistic hiring timeline and plan ahead.
Don’t wait until your cup is overflowing to decide to hire a team. Lay the foundations beforehand. So that when the time comes to begin building your team, you can implement a manageable timeline to hire and know that your company policies and structure align with your mission, vision, and values. Then you’ll be prepared to welcome a team of great employees into a company culture anyone would be proud to work within.
The hiring timeline can be broken down into the following steps:
- Define your company goals early on: Do you want to scale your business or more easily maintain what you’ve built?
- Build your team foundations with a well planned out HR and team strategy.
- Build a job ad that resonates with your company and post the ad.
- Screen candidates and set up interviews
- Make an offer and onboard the team member
Step 1:
Being clear about your company goals is a very important first step to setting realistic hiring timelines. Do you want to grow a large team? Do you want to be a one man (or woman) band for the foreseeable future? If you want to scale your business, you’ll eventually get to a point where you need help.
Of course, hiring project based contractors can be a great resource for a time, but having a team of employees on the same mission as you can and will set your business apart and ultimately be something you will need to lean into.
If a contractor is more your jam, you can stop now! Go to your favorite Facebook Group or pop on over to Fiverr or Upwork and search for a contractor with your requirements.
COMPLIANCE TIP: Understand the legal limitations of contractors BEFORE you plan to hire.
Step 2:
The next step is determining how soon you will need to hire and when you should get your HR and team management strategy built. This can be done anytime between step one and step three, but we highly recommend doing it before you start building the job ad. If you need a done for you HR and team management strategy, you can learn more about our services here.
COMPLIANCE TIP: This might be your first foray into compliance awareness, and this can be incredible overwhelming. But don’t give up! It might feel messy at first, but so worth it when you do this step RIGHT.
Step 3:
Build a job ad that resonates with your company and post it. The job ad is such an important part of the process. This is your one shot to get your company out there in front of thousands and thousands of candidates. Being clear about your company’s mission and core values will help candidates resonate, or not resonate with your job ad and make a decision from there. Once that’s built, it’s time to post the job! We recommend using Indeed! BTW, while we don’t actually do recruiting, our services provide space to hold your hand through this process if you want to DIY this process. Check out Set to Scale for instant help!
COMPLIANCE TIP: Understanding your values, and your company culture is key to a successful hire. If you don’t have clarity on who you are as a leader, you won’t be able to successfully build a culture that gets the most out of your team.
Step 4:
Screen candidates and set up interviews. If you haven’t ever interviewed candidates before, make sure and check out our Interview Essentials Bundle. Here you will find all the best interview questions, and the ones you ABSOLUTELY cannot ask.
We recommend reviewing applications and choosing your top 8-10 candidates, with a seconds list as well in the event some do not show or you are not impressed with your initial candidates.
Step 5:
Make an offer and onboard the team member. You’ve found your perfect fit. GREAT for you! It’s time to make the offer. We typically suggest an informal offer by email or phone call. Once the candidate accepts, an official offer letter can be sent for signature, then it is onto all things onboarding!
Check out our Onboarding Necessities Bundle to get a set of our most basic templates to help you onboard your new team member.
