Hire for personality to help grow your small business

Who you hire is critical to the success of your office. Customers and sales are lost without the right people on the job.

It is easy to screen resumes and applications to determine the individuals with the education and experience levels you desire. However, where the rubber hits the road is choosing the applicant with the personality that fits your job opening and management style. To employ someone with the appropriate character, use the following process:

?Decide the traits your new employee must demonstrate to be effective in the position. For example, your receptionist should be accurate, conscientious, dependable, flexible, friendly, organized, self-motivated, able to handle small problems and a good verbal communicator.

?Ascertain the qualities a subordinate has to have to make your life easier as a supervisor. If you are a no-nonsense manager who does not have time for idle conversation, you need a worker who is direct, independent and not overly talkative.

?Behaviorally define each characteristic to comply with employment law. Conscientious might be described as "carefully and thoroughly does job, being very particular