How to Staff Your Business

One of the most important parts of a successful business is staffing. It’s a detailed process that involves recruiting, training, and managing employees. For your business to get on the right foot, there are many steps. 

Do I Need to Staff My Business?

For small business owners, staffing a business presents some challenges. The first question to ask yourself is whether you need a staff. Are you operating a restaurant or service that interacts with customers directly? Would it be more beneficial to hire freelance contractors instead of full-time employees? 

Figure Out a Budget 

A staffing budget is when a business allocates money toward full-time employment for the next year. If you decide that your business requires staffing, then it’s time to determine how much money you can put toward that goal. 

Most likely, you are in the beginning stages of your business and won’t have a previous budget to base your research on. Your first step is then to figure out what kind of employees you need. What is the workload and what kind of people will you need? What specific jobs will be done in your service? From there you can begin creating a budget that works for requirements.

Recruitment 

Once you have a good overview of the budget and what employees you need, it’s time for the recruitment process. Here, you’ll create a job posting(s) and post them on career websites. 

Your job posting should include the following: 

• A straightforward keyword-driven job description that uses industry-standard titles and clear direct language 
• Clearly defined responsibilities and qualifications that show candidates a realistic day-to-day in the job
• Transparency into salary and benefits 
• Growth opportunities 
• Work flexibility 
• Company culture including company brand and mission

In 2024, the best career websites to post your job opportunity are LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, Dice, Dribble, AngelList, and Vivian Health.

Develop an Interview Process

It takes time to create an interview process that works for the employer and potential employee. Monster reports seven steps for a meaningful interview process:

1. Make sure you’re aware of the position’s responsibilities and requirements
2. Post the job description to career boards
3. Read through resumes to find great-fit, talented candidates
4. Find an interview format and structure
5. Make a list of questions for a potential candidate
6. Create a plan for evaluating candidates 
7. Use feedback structure to find your next employee  

Establish a Thorough Onboarding Process

A successful onboarding process for new employees helps them get acquainted with the company quickly. Here are five ways to create a helpful onboarding process.

1. Pre-board new hires by giving them paperwork and information before the first day
2. Create a collaborative process where team members meet the new employee
3. Have your new employee shadow team members to understand how they will interact with each other
4. Introduce work gradually to not overwhelm the new hire
5. Stay flexible with your new employees’ needs 

Staffing a business comes with many factors from learning what you need from potential employees, how much you’re willing to spend on hiring, and how to create a thorough recruitment process. Discover more on how to hire workers with our presentation “The Startup Roadmap: Staffing Your Business”, hosted by Michael L. Thompson on February 13.

Categorised in: Blog, Business Strategy