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Sweet marketing music

Tanner Montague came to town from Seattle having never owned his own music venue before. He’s a musician himself, so he has a pretty good sense of good music, but he also wandered into a crowded music scene filled with concert venues large and small.But the owner of Green Room thinks he found a void in the market. It’s lacking, he says, in places serving between 200 and 500 people, a sweet spot he thinks could be a draw for both some national acts not quite big enough yet for arena gigs and local acts looking for a launching pad.“I felt that size would do well in the city to offer more options,” he says. “My goal was to A, bring another option for national acts but then, B, have a great spot for local bands to start.”Right or wrong, something seems to be working, he says. He’s got a full calendar of concerts booked out several months. How did he, as a newcomer to the market in an industry filled with competition, get the attention of the local concertgoer?

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by Andrew Tellijohn
June 2005

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Hiring

business builder hiring  

How to find
the right people
for growing firms

by Rebecca Olson  

Having a company populated with bright, enthusiastic, talented, hard-working, ethical employees would be nirvana for any business owner. For the small-business owner especially, the right people can absolutely make or break your company.

Unfortunately, we are usually moving so fast that we don’t take the time to think about hiring procedures and training — getting the right people on the bus and the wrong people off.

If you haven’t done so already, it is time to put that bus in neutral and ask yourself some questions about how you go about hiring the right people.

What do you need?
How will you know when the right person sits down in front of you if you haven’t taken the time to identify your needs and expectations?

My partner and I decided early on that we needed to have a clear focus on what qualities we wanted the individuals we employed to possess. We also identified the skills they had to have and what skills were going to be teachable.

We decided we would focus our hiring efforts on individuals who shared our beliefs and values regarding customer service, integrity, responsibility, work ethic and motivation.

Once this was determined, we communicated this information to everyone involved, inside and outside of our company, by incorporating those values and beliefs into our written material and marketing efforts.

You may recognize the benefits of working with others who share your values and beliefs, but how do you find them? In the beginning, word of mouth might suffice, because you’ll only need a few people. But as time goes on, increase communication through your network. That means communicating with others in the industry, employment agencies and newspaper advertising. Always include a succinct statement of the values you’re looking for.

You may think that you know instinctively who the right people are, but can you really trust your instincts in making hiring decisions?

I am the first to admit that I’ve been taken in by a charming personality with a nice suit. Those mistakes resulted in having to perform new searches and more training, additional time-consumers when my time was already stretched to the limit.

Now I still listen to my inner voice, but I don’t let it override the facts. My process now includes reviewing resumes, checking employment history, calling references, doing background checks, as well as communicating clearly with prospective candidates our company philosophy and our ideas of customer service and integrity.

Last but not least, listen to your candidates during the interview as you ask them about their personal qualities and the values that they bring to the table. You’ll be surprised how much they’ll reveal.  

If your job advertisement is confusing or misleading, how can you expect to find the perfect fit?

Defining the position you are looking to fill, explaining the types of attributes the individual must possess, and identifying your expectations now and in the future are integral to your success in finding the right person.

If the position covers several areas (mandatory in a small business), then you need to make sure they can wear many hats or sit in many seats. Outline your expectations clearly so that the prospective employee has all the details with which to make an informed decision.

We have all applied for jobs that were ultimately not what was advertised. I've learned from those days, and always try to remember what it was like to be on the other side of the interview desk.

Second opinions
If you are the only decision-maker in the hiring process, isn’t it better to get a second or third opinion?

Involve others from your company in the hiring process. For the last few years we have had three individuals from within the company interview the candidate separately. This has worked out very well and all involved feel more invested in the prospective employee’s success within the company. In addition, the new employee feels a sense of kinship with these individuals since they were obviously involved in their hiring.

If you don’t believe in continually training and educating your employees, how will your company grow in an ever-changing market?

Once you have found the right people, don't stop there. Ongoing training and communication must follow in order for both the employees and the company to continue to grow and evolve.

Get feedback from your employees whenever possible and then follow up on that feedback in a timeframe that makes sense. If you take too long to respond you will get less and less feedback and it will eventually stop.

Once communication has stopped flowing, the slow creep of rumor, gossip and innuendo about what is going on within the company can slow everyone’s productivity. 

Sharing your values and beliefs with those your hire, and consistently reinforcing them, will prove to be a successful formula.

Choosing employees based upon previously determined expectations, and empowering them with the appropriate responsibility, helps create a prosperous environment.

Now, shift your bus back into gear and move forward.

[contact] Rebecca Olson is vice president and co-founder of Evolving Solutions in Hamel, Minnesota, a $45-million data-on-demand and storage virtualization company: 763.516.6500; Rebecca.o@evolvingsol.com; www.evolvingsol.com