Finding the perfect employee

One of the most important things you will ever do in your new business is decide who is going to work for - and with - you. Not only are you committing a good chunk of your budget to the salaries of your staff, there are all the auxiliary things (and costs) to consider: training, equipment, interaction with your clients.

So how can you go about the process in a way that keeps the challenges to a minimum, the results to a maximum and retains your sanity at the same time?

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2. Have a clear definition of the role - ask your business partners, your mentors, even your clients for their opinion about the skills the role requires. 
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4. Look for people who are flexible and accustomed to smaller environments - just as it is important you be clear about the role you are offering in order to get the best possible person for the role, that person needs to be able to evolve with your business. Start Ups are constantly changing and you need to find someone who is not going to be frightened by those changes. 
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6. Do you really need to employ someone? Can you truly justify employing someone in the role or would it make more sense to outsource the role? Outsourcing can provide a cost effective alternative to many employment roles and may offer you a solution that, long term, gives your business greater strength. Hiring a freelancer may also be a good way to access a higher calibre of talent than you can currently afford as a full time employee.
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8. Network, network, network. This is a great time to hit your networks - your BNI group, your LinkedIn contacts, your clients. Ask for referrals and let people know you are looking. Make it known exactly what kind of role you have available and the kind of person you are looking for and then get your networks working for you. That coffee meeting may just lead you to your next sales superstar.
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