As the economy starts to pick up, many New Hampshire businesses eye hiring new staff.
Challenges that merely annoy an established firm often capsize a start-up company. This is especially true in the area of staffing. When a big corporation makes a hiring mistake, the company suffers, but survives. Committed by a fledgling firm, the same mistake may spell disaster. After all, if your company employs only five people, one wrongly hired employee will make up a fifth of your work force. That person’s incompetence or poor people skills can bludgeon the firm’s bottom line. Avoid these blunders and you’ll be well on your way to building a productive team:
Staffing the firm with friends and family. While this strategy may work in some circumstances, hiring pals and relatives often spells trouble. For one thing, friends and family members often expect – even subconsciously – to be treated differently from other employees. Such a double standard, whether real or perceived, can hurt morale and productivity. As a general rule, hiring decisions should focus solely on the needs of the firm and applicant qualifications.
Trusting in a handshake. Memories fade. Expectations fluctuate. As with other important aspects of your business, employee arrangements should be laid out in writing. This can be as simple as drafting employee offer letters that cover compensation, rights to intellectual property, and bonus arrangements. Employee handbooks are also a good way to spell out the responsibilities of the firm and its staff.
Steven A. Feinberg – www.AppletreeBusiness.com – Get Appletree Blog via Email!
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