Successful small business owners will at some point reach the stage where they, if they want to continue to grow, will need to bring on an employee or two. This is a daunting task for many business owners as hiring the “perfect” employee is every manager’s wish. One must be diligent in hiring and seek to find the best employee for the position they’re looking to fill, knowing that “perfect” employees may not be out there but you can find the perfect person to help in your business.

To know who the best employee is for your particular needs, you need to understand exactly what will be expected of that employee – duty-wise. Fitting an employee into a role that simply doesn’t work will lead to disaster for both of you. You may love the experience and personality of a particular interviewee, but if you’re looking for an accounting associate (for example) and this person’s skills lie in all areas of office management other than bookkeeping or accounting, the position is not the right one for them and they aren’t the right employee for you.

How can you make certain you’re making the best hiring decision? Here are some tips that we’ve found as we’ve continued to grow and expand our accounting business:

• You need to draft a job description and hire to fill that description. If you don’t know what you need to have the employee do, the process will be frustrating for the both of you and once you bring them on board, they won’t have any sense of direction. Be specific: Need a professional that can handle a six line incoming phone bank; rather than: Need an employee that can multi-task.  Does the position bring with it inherent challenges? Is licensing or certification required? Note them and discuss with potential candidates.
• Ask colleagues for recommendations. Networking is one of the best ways to find a new employee as you can then deal with a commodity/potential employee that is known to others.
• During the interview process be prepared with specific questions. Ask probing job-related questions. Ask the interviewee to relate problem solving methods employed in previous positions. Open ended questions are the best.
• Make certain you check references. It raises a red flag if a job candidate has no references. Remember, though, if you’re hiring a true entry level position and are potentially hiring a recent high school graduate, that person may not have professional references; in that case, ask for personal references and references from teachers.
• Set aside time for concentrated on-the-job training. Regardless of how great the new employee is, they need to understand exactly what is expected of them and how to perform at the standards to which your company operates.

How to keep a good employee on board:

• Once you’ve hired, be available to answer questions and provide support.
• Make certain the employee has the resources he or she needs to perform at optimal levels.
• Offer feedback on a regular basis. If the employee is, or is not, performing at the levels necessary you need to communicate that. Make certain the talk is a two-way street because there may be items the employee feels he needs to be successful that you haven’t provided.

It is possible to hire the right employee and part of the process has to be that you need to understand what your employees need to succeed in the position for which they’re being hired. Provide them those tools and you will be better able to grow your business – and your team.

You accountant can play a role in the hiring process as well. He or she can help you ensure that the salary you are offering fits within the business budget and also help keep you complaint with the legal requirements of having employees. And last but not least, your accountant should be able to assist you with managing your payroll and associated tax withholdings.

Need an accounting expert to walk you through the maze of the hiring process? Contact the pros at BASC Expertise!