The best professionals in any field tend to work at the best businesses. Everyone knows that to be the case. Of course, the inverse of that statement is also true: the best companies employ the brightest minds in their industry. This creates a problem for small business owners. Namely, how can they attract top talent to their operation? There are two ways to address this issue. First, small businesses can try to “poach” established pros from their competitors by offering them higher salaries, increased benefits, etc. Or, they can attempt to develop talent in-house. Today, we’ll focus on this second option, and describe five ways entrepreneurs can help young employees grow into successful pros themselves:
Adjust the Hiring Process
Want to find a capable young employee to join your startup? If so, you’ll have to tailor your job descriptions to encourage one to apply in the first place. Often, inexperienced job-seekers won’t bother to apply for a position that requires three or more years experience, for instance. What’s more, business owners will have to look “beyond the C.V.” if they’re going to uncover a diamond in the rough.
Expect Growing Pains
No matter how dedicated or meticulous a new employee is, they’re still going to make mistakes as they learn their trade. Business owners should use those growing pains to help their team members learn from their errors. Flying off the handle and chastising a green employee can shatter their confidence and stifle their potential. So resist the urge to vent your spleen if a rookie team member messes up a web page about a new style of microplate, or makes a grammatical error in a social-media post. A little patience can mean a lot in the right circumstances!
Delegate Responsibility
Business owners have to delegate tasks from time to time to ensure their company progresses as they want it to. One happy by-product of delegation is that it gives new employees a chance to tackle new assignments. By incrementally increasing a team members’ responsibilities, business leaders can help their employees –– and company –– prosper together!
Encourage Collaboration
Of course, upper management at small operations can’t afford to monitor a new employees’ activity 24/7. Rather, the best companies boast a positive office culture that fosters collaboration. When employees actively help each other hone skills and gain fresh insight, everyone benefits.
Show Trust
It’s one thing for business leaders to pay lip service to the idea of trust. It’s another thing entirely to give your employees autonomy to complete meaningful projects. Yet, simply affording your staff time and space can increase office productivity and boost morale. Plus, by allowing your team the room they need to grow, you’ll also increase your chances of retaining their services in the future.