Work Smarter

Good help is SO hard to find!

If you have ever tried to hire an employee you would probably agree that it resembles the first episode of a season of American Idol. For every Jennifer Hudson out there you’ll audition a few hundred William Hungs.

With the unemployment rate topping 9.5% this summer there is good news and bad news for small businesses looking to hire…

The good news is there are more applicants interested in every open position than our generation has ever seen.

The bad news is there are more applicants interested in every open position than our generation has ever seen.

Finding the right employee for your business has become easier and harder all at the same time. Two years ago the challenge was getting anyone worthwhile to apply for the job. Today, the challenge is separating the prospects from the suspects.

With the cost of a bad hire estimated at a few thousand dollars to a few hundred thousand, you can’t afford to make the wrong decision.

Here are a few basics to improve your hiring success:

• Start with referrals
• With one in every 10 people you know looking for work, reach out to the friends, family, and business contacts you trust and ask if they know a great candidate looking for work.


• Consider Temp-to-Perm
• Temporary Agencies will find and screen candidates. And if your new employee doesn’t work out you simply make one phone call to get a replacement. This will cost you more up front, but could save you thousands in the long run.


• DIG!
• Ask the same question a few different ways to look for consistent answers. When discussing past experience, ask for specific examples and proof sources. Perform multiple interviews (even over coffee or lunch) to allow the applicant’s true personality to shine through.


• Hire a Person Not a Resume
• Skills can be taught, talent won’t change. Don’t become so impressed by experience that you ignore personality flaws or intellectual limitations. Look for the candidate you can polish into a gem.


• Perform a Background Check
• The average award in an employment related lawsuit is $492,000. Forty-nine percent of applications contain inaccurate information. And employee theft costs employers an average of $9 per employee per day. Enough said.

Growing your business is exciting. Be selective of who you bring aboard. Hiring the right employees can make all the difference and now is the time to capture some great talent.

Do you have a business tool or service you can’t live without? Tell me about it!

BIO: Courtney Briggs is a working mother of two and an MBA with over 15 years of advertising, sales, sales training, and management experience. Visit www.courtneybriggswrites.blogspot.com to learn more about her and her work. Check out www.momstrengths.blogspot.com to learn more about your unique Mom Strengths and how to use them to be a happier, more successful Mom.

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