When the eggnog’s off the shelves and the last hangover’s finally faded, you’ll probably be in a mood to revamp your company in the New Year.
And you may feel like, what with all the ominous talk of a double-dip recession – when anything double-dipped sounds frankly delicious – and the fact that some of that talk comes from your iPhone, you’re getting to be a little behind the times. But business goes on (at least until December), and you have to be able to find the shiny new staff that can guide you through the gathering darkness.
So where to start?
No More Gold Standard
You’ll have golden boys walking in the door fresh from school, eager to get started, never having failed a day in their lives. And their work may seem initially impressive. But there’s a body of recession-hardened workers out there who know the stakes and know the field, and they’re the ones you’ll want to get your hands on. With a few independent, veteran workers at your side, there’s no limit to what you can accomplish.
Silver Lining
One of the most surprising lessons of the turmoil over the last few years has been that business plans tend to be far too short-sighted. Quick-release, go-for-broke, grab-bag tactics have seen their day, and are experiencing an agonizing twilight – even when they’re not at the movies. The market craves businesses that are oriented towards the long term, and that can offer solid, dependable, confidence-inspiring results. Consumers want to be able to trust your company, and build relationships based on mutual respect and good old-fashioned professionalism. So say goodbye, ‘Hi-yo, Silver!’, and hello ‘Hiya, Sir’.
Go For Bronze
The people you hire have to be savvy about the potential of all these new technologies to alter the way you do business – and more importantly, to predict how it will affect the industry at large. They also have to understand what’s expected of them in today’s demanding job market, without carrying too much of the anxiety that courses through the veins of the post-post-war post-post-boom post-postmodern American’s blood. There comes a point when you’ve gone through enough fire to know for sure whether you’re ash or bronze, and by this time, many of us have figured that out.
What They Need To Know
Your time is valuable, your hiring resources are limited, and it can be hard to pin down the few questions that will give you a read on the candidate. Consider these helpful shortcuts for getting to the bottom of their brain:
• Online Marketing and Social Media Basics
– By this time, your staff should certainly know how to get the word out on the internet, either through social media or more traditional marketing methods.
– If they don’t have some idea of how important it is before they come in the door, chances are they’re out of touch.
• Communicating Openly and Effectively
- Business relationships work so fluidly these days that good communication has become more important than ever, even among your lower-level staff.
- It’s not a shy game, and if the applicant isn’t able to carry themselves with aplomb and communicate their professional needs and concerns to you effectively, the relationship’s not going to last.
• Independence and Dependability
- Once you’ve set an agenda for the company and are looking forward to the next step, you need to know that your staff can function without your direct supervision.
- Things move pretty fast, and if your employees can’t prove themselves resourceful enough to carry out the broadly outlined tasks you’ve set, you’ll sink faster than you can swim.
What You Need To Know
With all the changes sweeping through the business world, it can be pretty hard to keep track of what matters. As frustrating as it can sometimes be, hiring is a welcome reminder that your employees are always the most important part of your success.
America’s bad boss Michael Scott may have left The Office, but his wisdom lives on: People will never go out of business.
