No matter how much of a rockstar you are in your business, chances are you don’t really want to do everything alone. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to. Hiring someone can keep your business heading in the right direction (as long as you’ve built a solid foundation).

But one question remains: who do you hire? What assignments do you give them, and what kind of domino effect will that have on your business? 

Let’s talk about three of the things to consider when you are ready to recruit your new hire.

How Do You Know What Role You Should Hire For?

Some business owners start small by hiring someone for a few hours a month. Another approach is to try to get the most out of a new hire by having them do a bit of everything. (Some entrepreneurs even try to do both at the same time 😬) While understandable in theory, this doesn’t often pay the dividend you think it will. 

There are so many online business owners out there who say they “need to hire a VA” when what they really need is someone more specialized or who offers entirely different services. 

You want to approach the hiring process with a proactive approach, not a reactive one. The last thing you want is to build your team out of desperation. It’s unfortunately easy to let things build and build until you’re neck-deep in tasks and running on empty. 

When you hire earlier, you give yourself more time and forethought to plan your team strategically. Now, you’re not putting out an SOS; you’re nurturing your business. 

Hiring Tip #1: Find the Gaps

First, consider what parts of your business need some support, and get specific. If you need help with content creation, don’t just say “blogs” if you mean “writing blogs” (because trust me, there’s a lot that happens behind the scenes). 

Ask yourself what the top two things are that you need help with. Maybe you need help organizing your inbox. Maybe you are getting bogged down in bookkeeping. It may take a bit of harsh self-reflection, but once you admit the areas that you need help in, it becomes way easier to find your solution. 

If you need help with blogs, then consider hiring a blog writer. If you need help with your email automations, look to hire a tech virtual assistant or an email automations expert. If you need someone to organize your business and help you strategize, hire a strategic partner instead of a VA. There are so many more options than you may think.

If you need a place to start, the time-tracking exercise from the metrics challenge is a great way to get your thoughts on the right track. Jot down everything you do now, but instead of starring the revenue-generating activities, mark the things you absolutely CANNOT have anyone else do. (For example, you’ll probably need to be the one going live on video.) 

Circle anything that someone else could do, as long as it was the RIGHT person (like having a clone of you on staff). You may be surprised by the results, and that’s OK. Once you realize which elements of your workload you could feasibly offload to a reliable team member, you can start looking for that new employee.

Hiring Tip #2: Decide Your Direction

Now that you have pinpointed two specific areas that you need help in, it’s time to look more at the big picture. You are (probably) not going to hire a robot, so you should consider your new hire’s mindset as well as their expertise. 

Ultimately, this is where you should decide how you want your business to change once your team expands. Are they taking tasks and directions from you, or do you want them to direct things themselves? Do you need someone to strengthen your existing infrastructure, or help you branch out into something new? 

If it’s the former, you will need a rock-solid training program. If it’s the latter, then you will need to relinquish some control as you trust their guidance. 

If you’re still not sure, let’s kick your Shiny Object Syndrome to the curb! My shiny object-busting guide will help you figure out what pillar you should be working on right now. Your new hire should be someone who can support that pillar, especially if it’s not in your area of expertise.

Hiring Tip #3: Optimize Your Onboarding

Your new hire is going to be amazing, but more than likely, they’ll still be human. (And if not, well, I have other questions for you.) That means they’ll need some time to assimilate and get used to your day-to-day procedures. 

Are you prepared to train someone for this role? Before you ever draft the hiring paperwork, you want to set up a solid onboarding program to ensure a smooth transition. There are awesome tools available to organize your company’s info in an easy-to-learn manner, including some pretty cool templates for procedures and onboarding.

Ready to Grow Your Team the Right Way?

Once you fully address these three considerations, you’re ready to hire a new team member using an effective and efficient process. It’s the next best thing to hiring a clone of you, and honestly, the results can be even better. Your next rockstar recruit can bring new ideas to the table and provide essential support to take your business to that next level. 

Still not confident about hiring someone new? Or maybe you aren’t sure whether you need a new employee. Could you thrive with your current team by improving your day-to-day operations? I can help you answer all those questions and give you the guidance you need to build the business you’ve always wanted. To learn what it’s like to work with me, schedule a free call and let’s chat.