Top 3 Things to do Before Hiring a New Teammate
So you’re ready to add to your team - that’s awesome! You’ve taken one more step towards growing your business. You’ve checked your budget, decided what kind of position you want to hire, interviewed and given the offer. You’re almost there! But before onboarding, there’s a little prepping to be done so your new teammate feels like they’re ready to start work. To help them be the most successful they can be, take the time to get these three things together.
Process, Process, Process
Before you delegate any tasks to a new teammate, identify your processes. This means identifying the steps you take through each task to get something done and building it out in a clear manner for your new hire. If you’ve never done this before, it’ll be illuminating for you to see your own process and evaluate what you can change. If you have a clear one already laid out, just be sure it’s flexible enough that your new hire could bring their ideas to the table. Finally, make sure to have templates ready if possible, so your new hire can see exactly where your head’s at.
Choose a Project Management System
Reference project management tool blog
When you’re working as a team, it’s so so so important to have a project management system in place to ensure fluid communication (because as much as we want it to, texting and email just aren’t going to cut it). Project management tools help you keep everything in one visual and organized space so each teammate can easily see what’s being asked of them and when. This is especially important when you have multiple teammates working on one project because it’s easy to organize tasks and deliverables in separate lists. Wondering which program to choose? Head to our blog The Best Project Management Tools for Small Businesses to learn about our three favorite programs.
Organize Everything
Last but not least, it’s important to organize all of your files, projects, tasks, and inspiration before bringing on a new teammate. It’s important to consider it like this: Are all your files, projects, and tasks organized? Yes. Are they organized for the way your brain works? Maybe. If a newbie poked around in your files and projects, would they understand it? Perhaps not. My point is, just be sure that your components are organized not just for your understanding but for the understanding of your new hire. There’s often a grace period where the new hire adapts to your methods and you adapt to theirs, so know you’re not giving up your organization system all together. For more ideas to organize your files, head to our blog here!
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There are many more tips we could offer here, but starting with these three will streamline the on-boarding process and ultimately benefit your team’s workflow in the long run. If you’re looking for more help managing your team, give us a shout! We’d love to talk about our team management services, so just head to our services page to learn more and schedule a call.
