If you’re running a small business, you’ll generally be the one doing the hiring. In fact, you’ll probably be working side by side with this employee. The good thing about this is you get to choose the person, so you’ll probably choose someone with a similar work ethic and temperament . The bad thing is, unlike larger companies, you incur a bigger cost when you make the wrong decision. If you own a single store with a less than five employees, the amount of time you spend interviewing, training, and doing paperwork is time you could have spent making your store better. If you make a mistake, you have to start the whole process over again.
Add to that, as a small business you’re competing against big chains, and your customer service is what you have to compete on. So, you have to be a bit more selective of who you hire, but you’re also getting a smaller pool from which to draw from. This is why it’s important to make sure you get it right, before they ever set foot on your sales floor.
The following 3 tips will help you get to that great hire.
1. Interview Yourself
Once you’ve decided you need, or want, to hire someone be sure to write down exactly what you’d want in an employee. If you’ve got a questionnaire you use, write down your own answers. Basically, what would your perfect employee be. Don’t expect to find her, but you should at least have a “gold standard” you’re looking for.
2. Immediate Try-out
Doug Fleener, who writes a great blog on specialty retailing, recommends having the interview on the sales floor and asking the applicant to display some customer service skills to you. They may not have a ton of product knowledge, but they can still show you how they’d approach your customers.
3. The Anti-Pitch
I’ve seen this in movies and television in relation to people converting to a different religion. Basically, the new religion tries to talk you out of joining. They make sure you’re serious about joining. Do this with your store. Explain all the bad stuff they may have to deal with. What are the downsides to working for you? Let them know now, before they start.
If they keep their motivation up, and even try to turn some of your “bad points” into positives, you know they’ll bring that energy to their customer service. If they are turned off by your anti-pitch, then they were most likely not going to make it long term, and if they did, they would probably be giving less than their best as the time wore on. Best to weed them out in the interview, than spend time and money you can’t get back.
These are just a few quick tips to try next time you’re hiring. What other suggestions would you offer? Do you have some tried and true methods for getting great employees? Let me know in the comments below.
Joe Robles 