Hiring 101: 3 Things to Consider Before Hiring a Team Member

In business, you may want to think about hiring either a contract or an employee. I know, it stings a little to know that we can’t do it all alone… and that’s the great thing about having a business. By passing around the responsibility to other people, you and your business have the opportunity to uplift and help someone else in your community. Isn’t that why we’re in business after all? To support each other and our community?

However, hiring may be a scary process for you, especially if you’ve never had to do this. I have hired multiple people, both within my business and when I was working in corporate. No matter where or for what role you’re hiring, there are a few things to consider when doing so. This post will help you navigate those considerations so you know you’re making the best choice for you and your business.

What Infrastructure Do You Need To Accomplish Your Goals?

Often when I work with entrepreneurs, they’ve taken in one-size-fits-all advice from people who paint with a broad brush. They hear, “Hire a VA and get back 9 hours a week!” or “You shouldn’t waste time creating your own graphics!” But what if you A) aren’t sure where your business KPIs stand and B) like creating your own graphics?

(KPIs stand for Key Performance Indicators and are a good measure of the health of your business. They can include things like sales, leads, conversion rates, churn, time spent on certain tasks, etc.)

Infrastructure includes not only things like systems and processes, but also money and time. And if you don’t know if you’re in a healthy place to bring in hiring support, hiring may actually be destructive for your business, especially if you hire support that doesn’t really help you.

Think about whether your business has consistent and/or predictable income or if you have periods where you have a large income all at once (for example, do you have steady retainer clients or live launches every quarter), what your monthly expenses are, if you have enough work to give to a new hire, and if you have the bandwidth right now to onboard someone new to your business.

It’s also good to think about the kind of support you’re hiring. Is it a long-term or retainer-style contractor? Is it a part-time employee? Is it a full-time employee? Is it a one-time, project-based hire?

Knowing what your financial infrastructure looks like and what kind of support you desire in your business will help you see whether you are able to hire right now and, if not, what to shoot for in the future.

Do You Already Have Enough Support to Meet Your Goals?

Sometimes, the wisest thing to do is not to make changes in your business. That includes hiring someone. Just because an expert said you had to if you want to be serious about your business is not a good reason to hire someone, especially if you already have all the resources you need.

Look around and take a look at the support that’s currently available to you. Are you taking advantage of all the benefits and features of things you already subscribe to and people you already work with?

Perhaps you don’t need to hire a full-time copywriter for your business because your business coach will help you create compelling copy on your coaching calls, you just hadn’t thought to ask if that’s a service they provide. Or maybe you realize that you already subscribe to Canva and while it would be fantastic to have custom-made graphics, you can wait to hire someone for that specific role until your income stabilizes and you feel like you can comfortably financially support that hiring decision. 

How Do You Work Best with Others?

When hiring, it is so helpful to know who you will work with best. This should be a joyful, expansive time and the person you hire to assist you must mesh with and complement your style. For example, if you’re the type of person who loves to research everything and create lots of lists before you get started, hiring someone of a similar nature may not actually help you progress in the way you desire. You’ll be in a list-making loop rather than a list-doing, forward-momentum dance.

To find out your unique creation style and what kind of support would help you the most in business, take my quiz! You’ll learn your unique creation style and ways to work with your natural way of doing things so you can go so much farther… faster!

You’ll confidently make decisions, understand how and when and to whom to delegate things, and know the types of support that will make the biggest splash for you. That way, you will be assured that you’re investing time, money, and energy in your business that will propel you forward rather than being a weight around your shoulders.

Click here to download your quiz, plus discover quick tips to help you understand your style and use it to make informed, helpful decisions!

***

When hiring in your business, you will possibly make a few mistakes. That is okay! There’s nothing you will do that can’t be fixed. With these guidelines to help you navigate the beginning stages of hiring, you’ll make fewer mistakes and be confident that the type of support you invite into your business will actually support you so you can work together to create a business you’re proud to call your own!