Are you ready to take your business to the next level by building a team? According to a survey April 2010 by financial solution provider Intuit, 52% of small business owners plan to hire staff this year. If you’re feeling intimidated by the interviewing process, you are not alone. The survey also reveals that almost half of all small business owners are putting expansion on hold, which according to experts may be a big mistake. By hiring strong and powerful teams you will be a positive force in improving our economy by creating jobs as well as increasing your ability to deliver outstanding services and products to your market. By following three simple steps you can get rid of any guesswork. What position do I hire for first? Who or what am I looking for? How will my future staff fit into the big picture for my business? By defining your dream team before you start the hiring process you will…
- Hire for the growth and not the maintenance of your company
- Have the confidence you need to follow through your plan
- Be proactive with your hiring practices instead of reactive
- Have an exact course of action prepared to build your dream team
- Develop a long range plan for every team member instead of just filling an immediate need
- Provide advancement opportunities and develop staff to promote from within
For the first time ever you can look forward to finding a team member by using these three easy strategies. You will understand how every position fits into the big picture. You will have a master plan giving you clarity of who to hire next week, months down the road and even for years to come. I have used this method within seven different industries successfully. Are you ready to design your dream team? Great! Let’s get started.
Step #1 Write it ALL down Write every task, project, system and detail that is required to manifest your dream business. If you currently have staff, ask them to write down every task they perform. Schedule alone time for one weekend to take yourself through this three-step process. Supplies you will need:
- tablets/flip charts/sticky notes
- pens/pencils
- calculator
- water/nutritious snacks
- comfy clothes and slippers
- things that inspire you (music, flowers, beautiful surroundings)
Write every task that must be done in your business as it is right now AND what you see your business looking like at its finest. From payroll, staff meetings, answering the phones and returning e-mails…write it all down. Do not skip the tasks that seem unimportant. Every step is vital to accomplishing your business success. Reserved a special sheet with your name at the top for your dedicated tasks – but keep the list very short! This is for creative, wealth-building projects, homeschooling, things that you love to do and tasks or obligations that provide you with the greatest wealth on a professional and personal level. Everything else goes on the general list. You must also consider tasks done on a quarterly and yearly basis, as well as projects that need to be done but aren’t being accomplished currently.
Step #2 Divide the list into sub lists Begin to departmentalize and categorize every task, project and detail. For example: One list can contain trade shows, networking and speaking events together. Now indicate frequency and time required beside every task. This will allow you to see if one person could physically and realistically handle the list within a 24-hour, monthly or yearly basis. If not, a new list must be created or you can plan to hire several people for the same list/position. Next, title every list. For example: Business Manager, Public Relations, Sales Consultant, Personal Assistant, etc. The list will have a common theme and that can help you to determine the department or position name. Remember you and your existing team may be performing tasks from several lists until you fill the position/list with a new team member.
Step #3 Create timelines or goals for hiring your dream team Assign to each position/department list:
- A specific month/year for the position to be filled. For example: A chiropractic clinic decided to hire associate doctors by their third year in practice.
- A particular goal that needs to be reached in order to fill the position. For example: Determine that once your business reaches $80,000 a month in sales you will hire a business manager to take over your duties.
By pre-determining the positions and departments you can plan for business growth accordingly. The first time I did this, the entire process of designing a dream team took me three days for two businesses. Both businesses were able to break through the 7-figure ceiling in a short amount of time due to having a solid hiring plan. Take the time to dream about your ideal team and put yourself on the right path to build the business you’ve always imagined.
©2010 Kiyla Fenell
WANT TO USE THIS IN YOUR EZINE OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you use this blurb with it:
Over the past 22 years Kiyla Fenell has hired and inspired hundreds of her employees in 7 different industries for her million dollar companies. Kiyla’s teams have been awarded national and international recognition for breaking records. She credits her ability to build award-winning, record-breaking teams to her unique and fool-proof way of hiring. You can find the exact tools and words Kiyla uses to hire highly functioning and motivated staff quickly at www.dreamteamhire.com