Hiring and Firing: Your Guide To Employee Management
As a business owner or manager, part of your responsibility is to hire, maintain and, occasionally, let go of employees. If you are used to working under management or alone, this might be a frightening new task for you to take on. After all, it is often said that a business is only as good as its employees. However great your products, space and advertising is, without great people on all levels of the company, your business will not thrive as it should. Here is your helpful guide to hiring, firing and managing a team of employees.
Hiring
When looking to hire for a new position, allow plenty of time to complete the process. There are many stages to a hiring process; the advertising, reading through resumés and application letters, interviewing and finally hiring the person who fits. Make sure you are prepared for certain uncomfortable moments, such as how to answer questions about salary expectations.
But the question is, how do you know who fits in the best? Let’s take a look at some essential qualities of a potential employee.
A precise, well-written application. In order to be noticed on paper, a person can’t simply be qualified. Their information and intentions have to be organized in a way that is concise, easy to read, and interesting. It should be personal but professional at the same time.
Prompt and personable communication. If the candidate looks fantastic on paper but lacks in communication skills, they are unlikely to impress in a fast paced work environment. Make sure that if you contact the potential candidate for an interview, they respond politely and promptly. Someone who leaves you hanging or engages in a confusing way is not for you.
A good first impression. First impressions matter. Fact. Once you meet the candidate for an interview face-to-face (or, in the current coronavirus situation, via video chat) you should take in their effort. Appearance should not be a factor, when it comes to race, body type, gender, or any other appeariential factors. However, the way a person presents themself is important. Take in their attitude; the way they sit, hold eye contact, speak and respond to difficult questions.
These helpful tips are sure to help you find a great candidate to add to your company’s team!
Training
Once you have hired the perfect candidate, now comes a training period. Depending on the job and its physical demands, ensuring all health and safety concerns are answered and the training is administered immediately is essential. Once these logistics are out of the way, it’s time to get to work.
Many people learn better on the job, while others do better once they are fully trained and understand the ins and outs of the operation. Whichever style your new candidate prefers, as an employer you should work with them to make them feel secure and confident enough to get off to a good start.
Creating A Mature, Positive Working Environment
This is absolutely essential. In order to retain talented staff and build your brand with them, it is your responsibility to ensure they conduct themselves well. This all comes from the top down. If you, the boss, engage in immature or bullying behavior at work, your employees will follow suit. Creating a toxic working environment will bring the worst out of employees who are otherwise friendly, interesting and talented. Make sure you set an example, and demand the same attitude from everyone in your operation.
A mature, positive working environment means investing in your employees. If people feel taken for granted, they will accept better offers elsewhere. In today’s workplace, there are opportunities around every corner for any hardworking individual who wants to get ahead. This means that if you wish to retain and successfully manage your precious team, start investing in them. Treat them with kindness and respect, but beyond this, create opportunities for them to grow personally and professionally. This will set you up for success with an excellent team.
Discipline
Unfortunately, there will always be moments in your career as a manager or business owner that involve disciplining an employee. This is a very difficult job. Nobody wants to feel like a child in a headteacher’s office, but the person in question needs to know how strongly you feel about the situation.
If the issue is one of legal ambiguity, ensure that any and all meetings you have with your employee are monitored by a legal professional. Your conduct in the situation will affect how the situation pans out down the line, so ensure to adopt a professional, unbiased and objective stance at all times.
Letting Go
During the pressing times of coronavirus, redundancies and unemployment are skyrocketing. Over 51 million Americans are now unemployed due to the pandemic, which is the biggest unemployment spike on record. With this devastating economic hit, your business may be affected, and cuts may have to be made. As the boss, your responsibility is to conduct the situation with grace and professionalism at all times.
Firstly, ensure you have your legal affairs in order. If making an employee redundant, you will have to pay a severance fee. Ensure you consult a lawyer or accountant before you calculate this.
Secondly, when the day comes to let go of an employee, ensure this is done face to face. Lay out your reasons in a professional manner, and express your condolences. Expect that they may become distressed and/or emotional about the news. Prepare yourself for any and all reactions; some people become angry, others emotional, and others save their emotional outbursts for later. The most important thing is to be diplomatic, but not robotic.
Conclusion
Managing employees is tough, but when done properly, you can cultivate an amazing environment which puts a positive spin on every work day.
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