| For entrepreneurs, finding and hiring the | | | | experiences-filled with practical ideas on |
| best employees to help take their companies | | | | how to make good hires. For example: |
| to the next level is one of the toughest | | | | |
| challenges. That's especially true in a | | | | • Take the time to define hiring |
| strong economy with plenty of job openings, | | | | specifications in writing, providing details |
| which makes it even harder for smaller | | | | with respect to job duties and skills |
| businesses to compete for top talent against | | | | required. |
| larger, more established companies with | | | | |
| deeper pockets. | | | | • Use a structured, disciplined |
| | | | approach to hiring in order to evaluate a |
| The process of identifying and interviewing | | | | candidate's key strengths. |
| people who are just the right fit for your | | | | |
| company can be very time consuming. And the | | | | • Conduct several rounds of interviews |
| stakes are high: Making a wrong hiring | | | | for candidates with different members of your |
| decision can be costly and disruptive to a | | | | team to get a variety of perspectives. |
| growing business. | | | | |
| | | | • Follow a written script or series of |
| All too often, entrepreneurs eager to fill a | | | | questions, so you can be sure to question |
| position fall back on making an important | | | | each candidate on a number of different |
| hiring decision purely based on one informal | | | | attributes and skills relevant to the job |
| interview and their instincts. | | | | you're trying to fill. |
| | | | |
| While good instincts are very important, | | | | • Create a very specific checklist to |
| there are some more structured approaches | | | | identify which candidates have the potential |
| that can help you score more "home runs" on | | | | to become true "A" list players. |
| the hiring front. Entrepreneurs can find very | | | | |
| helpful information on Kauffman | | | | • Check references on everyone you |
| eVenturing™ , a Web site operated by | | | | hire, from your key players to support staff. |
| the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a | | | | |
| nonpartisan foundation dedicated to advancing | | | | "Hiring the right team is absolutely critical |
| entrepreneurship in America. | | | | for any entrepreneur focused on growing his |
| | | | or her business," observes Judith Cone, vice |
| Tips On Hiring And | | | | president of Kauffman Foundation's |
| | | | entrepreneurship initiatives. "It's well |
| Interviewing | | | | worth the time to make sure you select people |
| | | | with the right combination of skills, |
| The site includes a series of original | | | | personality and motivation to move your |
| articles on hiring-some written by | | | | business forward. |
| entrepreneurs who share their own firsthand | | | | |