Expertly Staffing Your Team and Establishing Expectations

Growing your business is an exciting step, but one that typically includes expanding your team. While rewarding, the staffing process requires careful attention to ensure you find the right people who fit in alongside your brand and future projections. After all, your employees are your most valuable resources so you need to be sure it’s done right.

Whether you’re on the hunt for a part-time administrative assistant or you’re seeking a full-time employee with high-level talent, being purposeful about how you hire and manage will make a huge difference in your company’s success.

Here are a few things to consider as you comb the applicant pool.

Job Descriptions

The first step in building your team is to identify the positions you are seeking to fill. What would support your progress toward your goals? For some, a social media manager may make all the difference whereas others need a team to drivers to deliver products in a timely manner. Each business has different needs, so dig into your goals and determine what you need most.

Once you have identified the various positions you need filled, it’s time to outline each of them to craft a thorough job description. Be clear about proposed responsibilities, expectations for hours and scheduling, and any goals or outcomes associated with each role. Place an emphasis on effective communication, which reduces errors, misunderstandings, and frustration for all.

Finding and Hiring the Best Candidates

A great job description is only one part of the staffing puzzle, but it can set you up for a successful application and interview process. Fortunately, there are many other resources that support the hunt for candidates, including a few of my favorites:

·      Your network: Word-of-mouth referral is invaluable because you’re gaining interest from people who are already connected to friends, family members, or industry peers. When someone sends an applicant your way, it serves as the first level of pre-qualification — it’s usually a good fit if someone else thinks they’d be a good addition to your team! Keep in mind that you don’t want to rely fully on referrals; you still need to perform your own assessment of a candidate’s skills and personality.

·      Craigslist: Believe it or not, Craigslist isn’t just for selling your old hand-me-down sofa. It’s actually a great place to elicit applications for your open jobs. Now, these inquiries will not be pre-qualified like your word-of-mouth referrals, so you need to be extra diligent in your evaluation. I’ve used Craigslist on multiple occasions to find one-off, short-term secretarial work or assistance, as well as for help around the warehouse.

·      Indeed: Indeed has been a strong forerunner in the job board space and it remains so to this day. It’s a great place to go to identify professional candidates with required work experience and simplifies the process for employers and applicants alike.

·      Employment Agencies:  Using an employment strategy is an effective strategy because they already have access to plenty of applicants, as well as the resources to find more. This has been my go-to method as of late because they basically do the homework for me. They weed out the candidates based on my expectations, interview them, handle the hiring and payment, and assist with termination discussions. This allows me and my team to continue with our work, ensuring that the hiring process doesn’t cause business to slow down.

These are the resources that have worked for me, but there are plenty more available to assist your staffing needs. Be sure to educate yourself and explore all of the options at your disposal.

Setting Expectations with Your Team

After the hiring process, the next step is to onboard new employees and immerse them in your company. This entails a discussion about expectations, which will serve as direction for your employees and solidify the framework for knowing how they’re doing in their job.

This is beneficial for them, of course, but it’s just as valuable for you as you track their progress and define success for their position(s). It’s impossible to measure success (or the need for improvement) when there are no markers to measure against, so take the time to discuss responsibilities and goals upfront.

A great way to clarify your expectations is to create and circulate an employee handbook. This typically includes company policies, rules and expectations for employees (as a whole and by position), and what they can expect from you in the way of leadership. An employee handbook is typically a living document, so don’t feel like you need to have every detail in it right away. Start with the basics and continue updating it as your business and your team evolves.

Consider including the following in your employee handbook:

·      Your business’ mission statement and description of ideal company culture;

·      Policies around equal employment opportunity, code of conduct, anti-harassment, and the process for filing a complaint;

·      Relevant pay policies regarding topics like timekeeping and paydays, benefits, annual office closures, sick leave, vacation time, family and medical leave;

·      An assessment process for promotions and raises;

·      A documented review protocol you follow when employees are not performing as expected; and

·      A document to sign saying they’ve read the handbook and agree to the terms, as well as a disclaimer stating that the policies and guidelines in the handbook are subject to change at the employer’s discretion.

Be sure to check with your city and state about employment laws related to wages, unemployment, healthcare, family/medical leave, payroll taxes, etc.

I also wanted to note that a Non-Disclosure Agreement is another one of our expectations and might be something to consider for your company. We work with high-profile clients and on private high-end events, so to ensure the privacy of my clients, I make sure it is clear to my employees that knowledge is confidential and does not leave our office.

As your company grows and expands, your team is undoubtedly your most important asset. Your business can go on if you have to find a new warehouse or if some products get damaged, but your staff is what will keep you going through good times and bad.

Eddie Zarastian is the visionary behind Eddie Zaratsian Lifestyle and Design, a full-service event design and production studio based in Los Angeles, California. With over 25 years of experience, Eddie’s creativity and passion is evident in every aspect of his work, and his ability to imagine and actualize events is unparalleled. Named as one of the top five international florists by the London Financial Times, Zaratsian has built a reputation as a visionary artist, and his work has been celebrated and featured by Martha Stewart, Harper's Bazaar, Grace Ormonde, E! News and Glamour, among others. Now, through guest lectures and classes globally, as well as private workshops in his spectacular LA Design Studio, Eddie generously shares his extensive business, design and floral expertise.