Hiring is hard, and I would argue it is one of the hardest things to do in business. For a long time, we used the less-than-favorable process of throwing mud on the wall and hoping it would stick. This worked for us initially because we thought it was the only way to hire people. They make a great first impression and get you excited about how much they can help, only for it to fade 6 months later when their true habits kick in.
We played this game for years, and it always ended up the same way—Us frantically trying to manage the workload left behind and desperate to get someone else new in the doors.
That all changed after we read the book, Who: The A Method for Hiring by Geoff Smart. What impacted us most was learning that most companies try to hire the best A-players on the market rather than individuals who are best suited for their business. This essentially means that many companies try to overhire and get someone for less than they’re worth, and that person almost always leaves for a better opportunity.
So with that in mind, the first thing you need to do when you’re ready to start hiring is to create a budget for each position. Once you know this, you can start searching for the best candidate within that range.
Now that you’ve determined your budget, here are the first 3 roles you should consider hiring to boost your company’s growth.
The Sales do’er
New clients and revenue are essentially the most important thing for a growing company to keep the business moving forward, and it’s the oxygen needed to survive.
However, you shouldn’t just focus on getting new clients but on getting the right new clients. This is why it’s important that you hire a salesperson who has marketing experience. A great sales leader knows how to bridge the gap between any new client and the right new client.
What To Look For When Interviewing Candidates
The main thing you should be looking for is whether they can tell a story.
In terms of sales and marketing, it all comes down to good storytelling. Can your salesperson create an engaging and emotional story that resonates with people? During the interview, pay attention to how engaged you are with them as they describe past experiences. Do they have your attention and make you want to know more?
Once you know if a candidate can engage people, you need to explore their tactical abilities and look for things like:
- Results from previous experience
- CRM & sales funnel building
- Ad campaign creation
- Coaching experience
A well-rounded sales leader needs to be able to execute after getting your attention with a great story.
Where can you find this type of person?
Generally, your network of people is the best place to start. Having someone else speak highly of someone is an excellent indicator of their character.
The Customer Experience Champion
What’s the point of bringing on new clients if you can’t keep them? This is why customer service is so important for any growing business, as it sets you apart from the competition. In fact, 58% of consumers will switch companies if their customer experience is poor. So the investment in taking care of your customers is a must.
What To Look For When Interviewing Candidates
The main thing you should be looking for when hiring your customer service leader is a two-pronged skill set.
Your customer service leader must be empathetic and have thick skin. They must be able to listen and understand, even if the customer is wrong.
This skill set is one of the hardest to find, but the best place to start is by looking at their previous experience. There are two things specifically you should look for:
- Front-line customer service experience
- Real-world experience directly with customers.
- Length of previous employment
- This is a sign they are willing to stick it out when things get tough.
Where can you find this type of person?
This might seem obscure but be more aware the next time you’re shopping for something in person. Take note of the person helping you. Are they helpful, honest, and caring? In our experience, there is a lot of amazing talent out there who just need the right opportunity to shine.
The Money Manager
Now that you have steady sales and happy customers, you need to make some money. Because at the end of the day, a business that doesn’t make money is just a hobby (and usually an expensive one).
66% of business startups say that financial problems are the reason for failure. In other words, two out of every 3 businesses will fail due to poor money management.
The Money Manager is a position every business requires but rarely gets the glory. They keep the roof over everyone’s head and make sure you have balance. The great thing about hiring for this position is the proof is in the pudding. When it comes to numbers and performance, there’s no way of skirting around the facts. So when you try to hire the right candidate, their previous results will tell you exactly how good they were.
What To Look For When Interviewing Candidates
Inquiring about their personal financial strategy is a great way to gain insight into how candidates think about finances during an interview without invading their privacy.
You’re hiring them to be partially responsible for your livelihood, so you want to know how they plan for themselves. You don’t need specifics, but if they can articulate their personal finance strategy, it’s a good indication that they take it seriously and recognize its significance.
Where can you find this type of person?
Again you should tap into your network and ask other business owners you know about their strategy and financial management. Outsourcing is also a great avenue for small businesses as you can hire a professional team for a flat rate to help manage and build your financial strategy.
Wrapping up
As I mentioned before, hiring is hard. However, it is not impossible if you take the necessary time ahead of time to plan out your strategy and create a budget that you can afford. When getting your business started, the Sales Do’er, Customer Experience Champion, and Money Manager will help get your brand up and running.
This is also the order you should look to hire in as well. Hiring in this order follows the natural evolution of most businesses and addresses where their pain points start.
If your business is already up and running and you’re looking for more advice on managing the hurdles of business ownership, check out our guide on how to survive any curveball. This guide will help you:
- Create company culture with your Customer Experience Champion
- Build a financial model with your Money Manager
- Launch a content strategy with your Sales Do’er
Check it out to learn more about how your brand can thrive amidst uncertainty.