You are here: Home / Archives for Employment

Hiring Employees for Your Small Business

 

Your business is up and running and you’re even starting to sign up clients. You have your office space and supplies, set up Internet Faxing, handed out marketing flyers, but something’s still missing. With all of the work that you’re about to have, you realize it’s time to hire an employee or two to help with the workload. But how do you decide who the best person is to hire when you’ve never done it before? Here are the traits you’ll want to look for in an employee for your small business.

 

Determine Job Qualifications

 

First, determine what qualifications you need in your employee, such as phone etiquette, filing, typing, and bookkeeping. Write up a want ad based on these needs and post it in your local paper. You can also post flyers around your neighborhood.

 

Set up a Good Interview

 

Ask prospective employees questions related to the skills you need them to perform. You may even want to test them on these skills with some practice runs. Ask questions about their backgrounds and personal lives. You want to make sure the person you hire is dependent and trustworthy. Get to know the interviewees by simply having a conversation with them. Ask them to provide references.

 

Run a Background Check

 

Contact references and ask pertinent questions about interviewees’ character and job skills. Go through an agency that can run a background check on them.

 

Hold a Second Interview

 

Once you’ve selected a few good prospects, do a second interview with them and ask more questions. Get to know them a little better before making your final decision.

 

Now that you’ve seen and heard everything you can about your prospective employees, hire the one, or ones, you feel most comfortable with.

 

 


Filed Under: General Finance Tagged With: , ,

Hiring the Right Person for Your Small Business

Panama Business and Investment

Image by thinkpanama via Flickr

Expansion is a positive sign in business. As a small business owner, you know you are growing when it’s time to add another employe to the mix. It’s important for employers to staff their business with the right people. Let’s look at finding the right person.

Resumes tell an employer where a potential candidate has been. The right qualifications are an asset, but qualifications alone doesn’t tell you how a person really works. Building an efficient work team goes beyond the résumé. That’s where to interview comes in.

Think about the qualifications you want your employee to poses. Sure, we know that people aren’t perfect. But each person has areas where they excel. Know what you expect of them, and lay it out for them during the interview. It’s a good idea to be clear on your expectations right from the start.

Ask the right questions during the interview. If they had remained with their former employer, what would their next step in the company? What type of work environment do they work best in? Questions like this are good ways to elicit an honest reaction. Making a list of questions to ask beforehand helps prepare you properly for the interview.

Certain questions are illegal to ask. Questions that involve gender, age, religion or ethnicity are off-limits. If you find the interview straying into these areas, simply refer back to your list of questions to get back on topic. Hiring an employee is not cheap. Sometimes it takes a while to find one who fits your business best.

Filed Under: General Finance Tagged With: , ,

Managing Difficult Employees

One of the more undesirable tasks managers need to undertake is dealing with difficult employees.  Unfortunately there will always be difficult employees, no matter how good of a manager you are, and it’s your job to deal with them.  Doing so, and not putting it off, will keep the problem from getting out of hand.  There are many reasons why some employees are difficult, but mainly it is because it has worked for them in the past. Dealing with this type of employee can be a lot like dealing with an unruly child.  A good manager will diffuse the undesirable behaviors and make them ineffective.
Every situation is different and will require a different solution to solve.  Most employees will be difficult from time to time.  Some will be hard to handle more often then most. It is important for managers to assess each situation, evaluate what is behind it, and figure out the most productive way to handle it in a positive manner.  Each situation is unique and should be handled accordingly.  Thinking before you react, can keep a bad situation from getting worse.  Do your research, ask those involved, and find reliable witnesses.  Base your resolution on facts not gossip or rumor.  If you are part of the problem, admit it and own up to your involvement.
If a confrontation is inevitable, plan ahead for the appropriate time and place.  Try to find a private place where you won’t be interrupted.  If you feel you should have someone else present, such as an HR representative, planning ahead will insure they are there.
The sooner you confront the problem, and avoid putting it off, the better it will be for all concerned.  It may be unpleasant, but it is part of the job of being a manager.  Once you have planned for the proper time and place, execute your plan in a timely manner.

Filed Under: General Finance Tagged With: ,

Successful Management

There are several tips managers can use to become better leaders and keep employees motivated.  An important tip to follow is to fix problems as they arrive, without wasting time on trying to figure out who is to blame.  It is a far more productive use of a your valuable time.
Employees are much more likely to respond positively when they are guided through a task rather than told to complete it.  When the how and the why is explained, employees will feel less defensive and be motivated to complete the task at hand.
Managers are there to manage, not to do.  Your time should be spent on planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the situations you have been put in charge of.  You shouldn’t be wasting your time on doing the things that the employees your are managing should be doing.  Delegate the simple tasks that take up your precious time.  But tackle the tasks you are unfamiliar with or have trouble with.  This will help you grow and allow you to pass on your expertise to your employees.
A good manager will plan ahead and be prepared before starting new projects.  Not only will you be prepared, but you will be making sure your employees are prepared as well. This avoids wasting time on catching up after a bad start on an ill planned project.
In order to become a productive, a manager needs to get out from behind his desk.  Getting out and spending time with employees will help in receiving information first-hand, make you more approachable, and help you to see what is going on in the company.
Being a leader is important to being a good manager.  This means leading by example.  Don’t expect your employees to do anything that you wouldn’t do yourself.  Be honest, straightforward, and don’t let your ego get in the way of your job.

Filed Under: General Finance Tagged With: ,

What Criteria Should be Used to Pick Investments?

Jeffery company employees
Image via Wikipedia

Investing your hard-earned money is a very personal choice. Although most people who invest regularly use a company who specializes in knowing which investments are sound, in reality, it is still your choice and you do not have to buy anything you do not want to. Even though you are using a specialized company, some good advice for anyone contemplating investing is to learn the basics for yourself. This way you will feel like you were involved in the decision. After all, it is your money!

There are several pieces of information that will provide valuable insights into a company’s health and profitability. First, a look at the company’s annual report will provide invaluable information. All companies who are publicly traded have their report posted on line for their stockholders to view. Knowing what the company’s risk-adjusted performance over one, three, five, and ten years is a good place to start judging as well as the fund size and the company’s style consistency. A company with a 10 percent earnings per share growth rate (EPSGR) could be a good choice. If that same company also has a 10 percent return on equity (ROE) and has 10 years of steady business, this could be an excellent pick. Also look at the company’s debt to equity ratio. If this is somewhere around .6 percent, this particular company has learned how to make a profit even in the worst of times.

Secondly, look at the management team and the employees of the company. Does the company retain its employees? A company where there is a low turnover of employees is a people-oriented company. This company would also have their stockholders’ interests in mind. Has the top level manager been with the company a number of years? Has the company made a profit during his tenure there? Answering yes to these questions gives you a good indication that this company could be a great choice for your portfolio.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Investments Tagged With: , , , , , , ,