Choosing the right employees to help take your small business to the next level is vital to your company’s success. As Nichole Spaight, the vice president at Adecco, points out, the role of each employee in every small business goes much deeper than a simple job description. The employees’ personalities are just as important to the work environment, especially when your company is staffed with less than 50 people.
Spaight notes that there are five types of personalities that small businesses should aim to employ. The first is ‘The Mentor.’ “Having a few employees on hand who genuinely want to share their knowledge with others can take a load off small-business owners’ minds,” Spaight writes. “Not only does it eliminate the extra cost of hiring outside trainers, but it also offers a layer of institutional knowledge that only people on the inside of the company possess.”
The second type of employee is ‘The Knowledge Seeker.’ These employees are not necessarily leaders, but they will always want to expand their knowledge, either through formal training or other means. Not only do these employees want the knowledge to do their jobs as best as they can, they also have a general thirst for learning that will push them to keep improving themselves.
Every small business should also have a ‘Renaissance Man or Woman.’ People who work for startups and small companies often have more than one job to do, making people with a myriad of skills vital to your business. Employees with the ability to code, knowledge of business strategy and perhaps some design skills can ensure all tasks are completed, even with a small staff.
‘The Morale Booster’ is one employee who can help boost all other staff members to become more productive and push through tough times. “Working for a company that is going through financial hardships can have a severely negative impact on employee morale,” Spaight says. “That’s why it’s imperative to have some people on staff that can find the bright spots in what may seem like the most hopeless situation.”
Lastly, every small business should hire ‘The Challenger.’ This is an employee who will speak his or her mind and challenge management’s decisions. Debating and discussing business strategies with the people who spend their days living said business can give you a nice little reality check while also helping to spark new ideas.
What personality traits do you look for when hiring new employees?
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