From being an employee in a small business and hiring people to work in small businesses I have noticed that we have a few things in common that top performers in large companies might not necessary have, or might not be as important.  Over the next couple of days I am going to share a few of these traits.

Entrepreneurial attitude, sort of -   We enjoy creating something from nothing, like entrepreneurs do.  Venturing out into unknown territory is exciting for us, just like it is for small business owners.  But we are not exactly the same. 

“A real entrepreneur is somebody who has no safety net underneath them.”

But employees are more risk adverse.  Maybe it is only for that period of our lives because there is something going on or maybe it is a part of their personality, but if you find someone who has an entrepreneurial attitude, really instead of an entrepreneurial attitude sort of, they probably won’t take the time to stay and really contribute to your business.  It is all just too tempting to them.  Why don’t I just do this on my own?  Why am I building their business when I could be building my own?  Find out the answers to those questions before bringing someone on board.

Yourself

After you take an evaluation of your company, it is now time for you, the entrepreneur to think about whether you are really ready to bring someone else into your world.  And as I mentioned, this person is not you!  They will not think like you do, they will not work like you do, and there will be days when you do not like each other.  We’ll talk about some specifics later of things you need to keep in mind as you start to bring people into your world, because it is different than any kind of management you may have done in other jobs.  This is your company, so you will act differently.

Not enough money?  Not enough work?  Not enough stability?  Not enough resources for them to be productive?  These are things that you need to think about before you bring someone else on board.  So that is the first step.  Get your house in order.  You won’t keep anyone, good or bad, if the company isn’t ready for them.

Conduct the meeting in a neutral area.

Use behavior-based language, rather than judgmental labels such as "good" and "bad."

Set clear and measurable goals for the next year.

Establish rewards for meeting goals and consequences if goals are not met.

Discuss annual raises in a follow up meeting.

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Do sales people apply for accounting positions or engineers for customer service roles? Probably not!

Jobs attract people not only with technical skills that match, but also with personalities that match. DISC is an assessment tool that can be used as a framework for understanding behavioral style. Follows are four (4) distinct behavior types:

Dominant Directors: People-oriented and task driven. Direct, impatient, assertive, and results-oriented. Company owners and sales “hunters” typically display these characteristics.

Social Influencers: Highly extroverted. Open, friendly, talkative, animated, yet mindless of details. Sales and public relations staff may fit this mold.

Steady Relaters: People-oriented, yet introverted when it comes to sharing their feelings or opinions. Calm, listens well, and likes to get along with everyone. Customer service reps, administrative assistants, and middle managers often demonstrate these characteristics.

Cautious Thinkers: Introverted and task driven. Reserved, quiet, detail-oriented, cautious and logical. Accountants, engineers and IT professionals typically fall into this category.

Know the behavioral style that is best suited for the position you need to fill. Use descriptive words in your job ads that attract candidates with the right style. Ask interview questions targeted to behavioral attributes that fit the position. Use assessment tools to confirm a top candidate’s natural behavioral style.

Reception: Make your candidates feel welcomed by being on time for the interview. Greet them in the lobby or have them escorted to your office.

Break the Ice: Ease into the interview with a discussion of general topics. Ask about their commute to your office, the weather, or current events.

Expectation: Describe the interview schedule by letting them know who they will interview with and how long it will take.

Show Interest: Make eye contact, listen actively, and ask relevant questions.