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