The Game-Changing Steps to Building Your Dream Team
Written by Chelann Gienger + Edited by Chelsea DuDeVoire
When starting a business, most entrepreneurs spend the majority of their time spearheading things that could be easily run by someone else. We spend so much energy putting out day-to-day fires that we're left with minimal time to do the things only we are capable of doing for our business. As I've learned the hard way through personal experience, you can’t grow your business beyond where you are willing to grow.
The following are three game-changing steps I learned in the process of building my dream team:
1. Start on day one
Fully preparing for the hiring process is a crucial step that many entrepreneurs fail to take, and how you go about the beginning of the employment process will determine the middle and end. Often, we're in such a rush to fill the position that we choose from the first few applicants, then throw them into the job without proper training. So, how do we prepare? We start at the beginning.
In recruiting and creating job listings, be sure to include a thorough description of the position you're hiring for. Outline the objective, requirements and responsibilities in detail. Being specific about these things will weed out the people who don't feel it's worth their time to even apply. It seems simple, but more often than not, we miss the mark.
It's also equally important for both parties to make a solid first impression during the actual interview. Remember that for as much as they're trying to convince you to hire them, you're convincing them to work for you. Be sure to ask questions that help you determine the person's character and personality in addition to their skills and experience. Skills can always be trained. Most times, character can't.
2. Create and Implement Systems
Systems are the self-sustaining keys to your company. When implemented, your business will work for you, so you don’t have to spend as much time working for your business.
Practically speaking, systems are a specific set of steps and guidelines to accomplishing a task. At the juice bar that I run, for example, we have a system for everything from how to make each drink to closing up the business at the end of each day.
Systems are one of the greatest ways to empower employees with confidence in their roles while encouraging them to help push the business forward. This empowerment comes from knowing exactly what needs to happen and how to handle every situation that comes their way. One of the main reasons good employees leave good jobs is due to bad management.
3. Create a growth-focused culture
The best way to maintain and grow your personnel is by conducting regular employee appraisals. The process is exactly what it sounds like - appraising or keeping employees accountable for how well they are carrying out your systems, policies and procedures.
There are several ways to do this, but a popular approach is found in placing all of your systems, policies and procedures on a rating scale. Next, you have the employee rated by three people: a manager, a peer, and themself. Then, a manager sits down and goes over these results with the employee in detail. If the employee scores especially low in an area, it is the manager's job to put together a plan for improvement in said area.
In short, your employees will either be the best or the worst thing for your business, so choose wisely and train properly. With successful systems in place, your dream team will help build your business to heights that you wouldn't have reached by yourself.
At 20 years-old, Chelann Gienger is a serial entrepreneur focusing her ventures on inspiring and empowering others to chase their dreams and goals in life. She opened NUYU Juice Bar with 3 other partners at the age of 18. Under a year later, she launched the Entrepreneur Before 25 Podcast with a desire to inspire and unite young and like-minded entrepreneurs.