Hiring mistakes happen, and those errors can be costly. As a green business owner, your focus is on maximizing your profitability to create a strong and sustainable business with real financial stability. A key component of your efforts is finding (and keeping!) qualified employees. You can improve your chances by avoiding these following five common hiring mistakes.
1. Rushing the hiring process.
When your needs ramp up, particularly during the busy spring season, it is easy to rush into a hiring decision. However, doing so is often where issues arise. No doubt your need for a new or additional employee is urgent, but so is fully vetting potential candidates. Be realistic about hiring deadlines. And once you do find appropriate candidates, be sure you allocate enough time to training them. At Spring-Green, we have an extensive online training program complete with video courses and tests to make sure local staff have the appropriate knowledge to do the best job possible.
2. Talking instead of listening.
It can be very easy to talk through the interview process, explaining what the job entails and what your company’s needs are. And while this happens all too often, it is definitely a mistake because it cuts into the time you have to learn about the experiences and background of each potential candidate. Asking questions and then letting the interviewee talk is the best way to determine if he/she is the best person for the position.
3. Believing the interview is everything.
This isn’t meant to contradict No. 2, because the interview is important, but that doesn’t mean you learn all you need to know from that process. Any business owner can tell you that they have hired someone after a great interview, only to find out in a few weeks or months that the person wasn’t the best fit for the job. Some people dazzle in the interview, but then fail to live up to the hype. The best way to combat this is by having a clear sense of the main qualities and skills the job requires. Then create a list of questions that can help you determine which candidates possess those characteristics.
4. Selecting someone like you.
This is a hiring mistake that you may not even realize you are making. Working with people you like certainly makes the job easier, however, you want to make sure you aren’t picking employees solely because you like them or have a lot in common with them. In any company or organization, even lawn care, you need a balance of traits and skills to keep the company running smoothly. Try to hire with an eye toward creating a team that complements each other, rather than reflects one another.
5. Thinking experience is all that matters.
No one person can know everything. That is why Spring-Green has worked hard during our 40 years in the green industry to cultivate an environment where collective knowledge can be shared with all our franchise owners. This means lawn care companies that are newer to the business can benefit from those that have been with Spring-Green from the beginning. The same idea can hold true during the hiring process. Look for the potential in hiring candidates, who may end up being more passionate about their jobs than someone with more experience.
Let Spring-Green help your green industry business achieve more growth by utilizing our proven systems, processes and documented procedures to build a sustainable business. We have 40 years of experience in hiring, training and more. Learn more about how Spring-Green can help you. Call 1-800-777-8608 or visit us at www.growmygreenindustrybusiness.com.
