Hiring a “Rockstar” Employee for Your Small Business

When women entrepreneurs are starting a small business, it’s only a matter of time before they’ll need to consider hiring some extra help, outsource certain tasks, or employ the services of a specialist.

To the inexperienced, small business hiring can seem relatively simple.  But you’ll quickly find out that finding the right help is a complex ordeal with its own theorems and schools of thoughts.  That’s why big companies have entire human resources departments to sort through the tangled mess and are experts on how to hire someone who will be a valuable asset to the company.

PR Squared has a great entry about What Makes a “Rockstar” employee.  A “rockstar” is someone who does their job, and then “goes beyond.” They provide a list of rockstar qualities that would apply to any job position, especially when it involves small business hiring.

Here are a few more “rockstar” qualities to add to the list.  A rockstar is:

• RELIABLE: Which is a better employee, one who says they will deliver a project in 6 days but gives it to you in 7, or one who says they will deliver a project in 8 and gives it to you in 8?  Now, more than ever, people suffer from an outbreak of unreliability.  Over-enthusiastic employees will promise the world and be unable to deliver.  Rockstars temper their enthusiasm with realism and deliver reliable work with unbroken promises.

• MOTIVATING: Morale and motivation play a tremendous role on productivity, especially during those stressful crunch times that are part of starting a small business.  An employee will either be a negative drain on morale, needing constant motivation and reassurance to keep going, or a rockstar who projects their positive energy, motivating and encouraging those around them.

• PASSIONATE: Musicians are sometimes motivated by the enticement of fame and the limelight, while others are simply passionate about music.  The latter kind of musician usually ascends to the title of rockstar because they are not as discouraged by setbacks and disappointments.  A rockstar employee is the same.  Not every job is fun, but every job can be rewarding.  Rockstars are thrilled by the challenge and find satisfaction in their work.

When starting your small business, what are some valuable lessons you have learned about how to hire someone?  Share your best and worst hiring experiences with us!

Tagged as: how to hire someone, PR Squared, small business help, small business hiring, starting a small business, women entrepreneurs