I was at a conference recently, and one small business owner was asked what one of her biggest problems was. In addition to the usual issue of finance cited by small businesses, she mentioned people. She struggles to get the right kind of people, struggles to keep and motivate staff; even when she trains, they go to the next company within a matter of weeks. Navigating the HR maize for small business could be the difference between success and failure.
As a small business, you could be forgiven for assuming that dealing with HR issues would be fairly straightforward. However, in many cases, it’s probably more of a headache for SMEs than it is for larger businesses. In addition, the small business has the same issues to deal with, but has far fewer personnel to deal with them. Here are some top tips to help you keep on top of things:
1) Hiring the right people
For a small business, hiring the right people is essential. The wrong person can lead to loss of business, which you can’t afford and besides you don’t have time to keep hiring for the same role every now and again.
The first step is to ensure that you get the right kind of people applying. In order to make this happen, you’ve got to have the right job description. You need to correctly map the role you are hiring for. Ask yourself, what will this person be doing? What sort of skills and qualities would this person need to have? What is the growth trajectory for this role? Can the individual see a clear path for growth on this role? Who can I use to shadow this individual? The answer to these questions will ensure that you get the right people applying, but more importantly, that you – the business owner- are clear on why you are hiring and the qualities needed to succeed on that job.
You also need to ensure that you create an accurate and enticing job description. Don’t make promises you can’t keep, or play down the level of responsibility, but at the same time you need to remember that you have to make them want to work for you? Hiring is a two way street – while they’re convincing you they’re the best person for the job, you’re convincing them that you’re worth working for. Paint your picture in the most positive light, without giving them false expectations.
2) Treat employees fairly
Once you’ve hired the perfect employee, you want to ensure that they like the work environment and that they like working with you. You need to ask? “Do my employees enjoy coming to work every day? What more can I do to make the environment conducive for them? What parts of the job can we as a company make easier? Is the job stimulating enough to offer adequate mental challenges? Do I, as a business owner model the right behaviour needed to ensure a healthy work place? You also need to look at your incentive structure. Whilst monetary incentives are the most obvious, you can be creative by offering things like flexible working hours, working from home, increased leave days. You can also organise regular fun activities to boost team spirit and engender feelings of camaraderie
3) Staying organised
Unfortunately, good HR is an ongoing game, and you have to ensure you stay organised so that your business runs like a well oiled machine. This means keeping all employee files organised and confidential, and ensuring you keep on top of things such as absences and role or salary changes. You should also ensure that you are organised with your payroll, as if you do it wrong you’ll not only annoy your employees, but your accountant as well!
To help you keep on top of things, you should seriously consider investing in some quality HR software, such as that offered by myhrtoolkit. As an online solution for staff management, it allows you to easily keep track of everything from absence and holiday management to training and appraisals. This type of software ensures everything runs smoothly without the stress, saving you time and keeping employees happy.
I’m sure you’ve heard of the cliché “Our people are our greatest assets”. A number of company’s mouth that phrase, but do not really practice it. As a small business, you need to take your employees seriously. It starts with these three simple steps.
…What are you waiting for ? JUST START.
With excerpts from hrtoolkit.com
Oguche Agudah is an associate of both the Chartered institute of bankers and stockbrokers Nigeria. He currently works as a special assistant to Nigeria’s minister of Industry, trade and investment with a focus on improving the access of Nigerian businesses to finance.
He can be reached on oguche@ogucheagudah.com
