The decision to become a business owner should not be taken lightly and rarely is. Yet some puzzle pieces need to be in place to make success more likely. After your business plan is created and the target market, financing and location figured out – in addition to a slew of other things – finding the right teammates should take center stage.
“Employees are, after all, going to be the backbone of your organization and will help establish the company culture,” said Dr. Vivek Cheba, who is a dentist and who has opened a number of orthodontics clinics in the Calgary area of Canada.
There are many warning signs for employers to watch for during an interview. Nervousness is not on the list but could make someone interview poorly. Just as some people are not good test-takers, many people are not good interviewers. If they are qualified yet seem clearly nervous, it could simply be that they are excited at the prospect of working for your company. That is a good thing.
Flip the Script of the Interview
In those moments, it is not a bad idea to take a look at their volunteer work. Flustered as they might seem, someone who is willing to invest in the community to make it better will likely be a solid team player in your business. Ask them about their volunteer work and see if they light up – their nervousness should melt away as they discuss the things they truly care about. Then, circle back to the regular interview and revisit the discussion about how you can help each other succeed. There are countless other tips for putting someone at ease.
“I try to make people laugh in the office and during interviews. I have always believed that saying that laughter is the best medicine. I want to let prospective employees know that friendliness is valued in our workplace,” Dr. Vivek Cheba said.
After you build the team, you need to keep them around
Did you know that many employees would take a pay cut simply to feel appreciated by their employer and to do a job they love?
A recent study conducted by Lexington Law revealed that 60 percent of Americans would take a job they love with half their current income over a job they hated that doubled their current income.
Create clear job descriptions to let people know exactly what they are signing on to do. The job description alone can help filter out unqualified candidates or those who would not be excited about the job in the long run. However, a recent article by the Harvard Business Review notes that job descriptions might be weeding out good candidates because some applicants believe they have to check every single box to be considered.
Cultivate a culture of appreciation within your office
Say thank you to everyone from the person who does the cleaning to the person who makes the coffee to the managers who make decisions and to the customers who make it all possible.
“I cannot say enough how much this simple approach has contributed to the success of my business,” Dr. Vivek Cheba added.
Do not be afraid to lead, but also do not be afraid to have roundtable discussions
Leaders of companies are paid and expected to make tough decisions. Be well-schooled and try to understand as many aspects of that decision as possible. Then, take action. There will be moments when it will be appropriate to entertain the thoughts and ideas of others. Those discussions may be humbling, but the willingness to listen and make the changes that make everyone feel heard and happy will pay unbelievable dividends in years to come.
Business growth comes from integrity and unparalleled quality
Happy customers and happy employees should always equal a happy business owner. A recent Inc. story revealed a secret ratio related to customer satisfaction: “It takes roughly 40 positive customer experiences to undo the damage of a single negative review. The ratio is derived from a combination of human behavior, math, and logic.”
Don’t be afraid to regroup or call in an expert
After a year or two, when all the dust has settled from your start-up and you have the chance to look around and fully observe the team you built-in action, you should notice a startlingly simple and beautiful truth: Great people stand behind great organizations; great employees stand behind great employers.
If you look around and you are not feeling a sense of accomplishment or do not get the idea that all of your employees are happy, do not be afraid to regroup and have a frank discussion with a few trusted people in the office. Sometimes the old adage is true: the closer we are to something the less we see it. If you still lack answers, do not be afraid to contact a consultant – their outsider’s perspective can be essential to understanding company dynamics.
If you get it right, make sure it stays right
It is easy to get lulled into a pattern of complacency when all appears well. Do not let that happen. Maintain the mentality to be keenly aware of what is going on in your business. After all, happy employees and happy customers equal a happy entrepreneur. A combination of cognizance and proactivity should prove a good formula for success.
