One of the most costly mistakes for small business owners
is making a bad hiring decision. Losing the money spent on
recruiting, the time to interview the candidates, and the
time and cost spent on employee training are a few of the
major profit-squeezers that result from hiring mistakes.
Some entrepreneurs attempt to reduce risk by hiring family
or friends-which in most cases proves to be the worst
hiring mistake of all. It is difficult for most people to
accept the relationship transition from family member to
employee. Most often, those friendships will end in
resentment and disappointment. When a veteran small
business owner tells you, "Never hire family!" you can bet
he's learned the hard way.
With a little skill and guidance, small business owners can
learn much about potential candidates by understanding
resumes. When reading resumes, there are three great
things to look for-and two traps to watch out for.
When reading a resume, the three things to look for are:
1. Industry experience
You'll make shortcuts in new employee training if your new
hire has previous experience in your industry. You will
see a faster return on investment with your new employee
when he or she already understands what your customers
want. Prior industry experience also means he or she may
have a business following that will result in added revenue
for your business.
2. Transferable skills
Very often transferable skills are as critical as industry
experience. Skills such as customer service, problem
solving, sales and/or crisis management are valuable in
almost every industry. Before interviewing candidates,
make sure you understand the five most important
transferable skills needed for the position you are hiring.
Keep those skills in mind when reviewing resumes.
Candidates whose resumes showcase those skills should be
considered whether they have industry experience or not.
An industry can be learned, but great customer service or
superb selling skills can only be acquired with time and
experience.
3. Accomplishments
When reading through resumes, look for applicants who write
about their accomplishments. These are candidates who
understand the bottom-line initiatives of an organization.
A resume that mentions saving time, cutting costs, and
solving customer disputes represents someone who can handle
your problems as well.
On the flip side, when reading resumes watch out for these
two traps:
1. Unstable work history
Pay attention to the dates on a resume. While the life
expectancy of a job isn't what it was a generation ago, a
string of short-term positions should be a concern.
Candidates with too many jobs in too short of a time
usually have excuses for all of them-sometimes even great
excuses. But good excuses aren't the same thing as good
reasons. If you see a consistent pattern of instability,
beware! This may be a candidate who (1) doesn't get along
with authority; (2) loses interest in his job after time;
or (3) is just plain inept. Beware also of unexplained
gaps in employment, which may indicate even more serious
problems.
2. Unfocused career path
While it's quite normal for one's career path to shift,
candidates whose resumes show opposing career directions
may indicate uncertainty about their career path. Look out
for candidates who have held contrasting positions like
"sales" and "accounting," or "account manager" and
"librarian." This may be a candidate who doesn't know what
he wants in his career. After working for you as customer
service rep, he may decide he really wants to be a dog
groomer!
With practice you'll gain expertise at reading between the
lines of a resume. Remember the three great things to look
for and the two traps to avoid, and you'll save yourself
valuable time, money and effort in hiring new employees.
----------------------------------------------------
Deborah Walker, Small Business Coach helps entrepreneurs
navigate the hiring maze with tips and suggestions on how
to recruit, interview and hire the best employees. Her
veteran experience as a former executive recruiter gives
her the unique perspective to help you avoid the pitfalls
of bad hiring decisions. Learn how Deborah can help your
business at:
http://www.RevenueQueen.com
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