4 Keys to Finding & Hiring the Right Employees for your Franchise

Hiring people is tough and stressful.  Finding the right person can help you in so many ways, while finding the wrong person can cause you so many pains.  And while it is more art than science, there is certainly science involved. Below are 4 keys to help you identify the right person to hire and how to find them.

1. Know what you are looking for:  Too often entrepreneurs hire on a whim.  They get swamped and overwhelmed, and hire the first person that walks in the door.  This is a bad strategy.  I have done it before. I know.  You must get crystal clear on the type of person you are looking for and know to a certain degree what they will help you with.  You don’t have to identify each and every task, as that will likely change over time.  But you do have to have an idea of the type of tasks and the type of personality you are looking for.  Skills are important.  But most of them can be trained.
2. Be clear in your job description:  Most people put out generic ads when they are looking to hire rockstars.  Generic ads will attract generic candidates.  If you want to attract rock stars, get creative & get real.  Let your personality shine through the ad.  You may turn off some people.  But you will also begin to attract the right people.
3. First interview over the phone:  Always do a first interview over the phone.  Someone’s resume may look good, but speaking to the person will give you much more insight.  If your gut tells that something is wrong or missing in the phone call.  Thank the person for applying and tell them you are looking elsewhere.  Don’t waste your time or the candidate’s time on an in-person interview until you have at least pre-screened over the phone.
4. Take time to make a final decision:  Once you find who you believe is the right person, take a few days to think about it and make sure.  In most instances, waiting a couple of extra days is not going to sink your business and will give you time to think about things you may not have thought about.  The candidate will appreciate it as well as they will know that you are taking the process seriously.

While there are certainly many more things that can be done to improve your chances of hiring the right employee for your franchise, this is a good start.  If you do these 4 things, you will be ahead of 95% of entrepreneurs that hire people.  And for those wishing to short circuit the process, remember:  it is much more difficult to fire someone than it is to hire them.