The hiring process is one of a small business’s most stressful and most important aspects. If you want to grow your business, you will need to hire people to develop websites, bill clients via accounts payable, and hopefully, run your Human Resources department. But hiring is a tough business. Mess it up and you risk infecting the company with lazy, apathetic, and unqualified persons. Get it right and the reward is a steady stream of productivity and innovation.
The problem is that most small businesses don’t view hiring as the complex process it is. They believe strongly that they “know people” and “can sniff out talent.” This, of course, isn’t necessarily untrue, but it’s also a poor platform to base 100% of your process on. You need a plan. You need proven methods. You need to think outside the box.
Don’t be afraid to take risks. The world of hiring will have a set of standards you are supposed to issue when seeking out new candidates: Must have a college degree, must have X years of experience, must live X miles from the company. Sometimes these items listed are great reasons, but often, they limit your process by eliminating great talents. Would a college degree in English really help your company’s goals? Is the position you are looking to hire for a skill that could be learned? This is important because often, you can find smart and reliable people and train them up. Then you have a smart, reliable, ______ worker (you fill in the blank). Some positions, such as marketing and accounting, may be trainable. You could also pay for online courses, which would be cheaper than hiring someone who eventually quits or you have to let go of and then rehire.
Likeability actually does matter. The person doesn’t need to be the life of the party, but you should also get a sense that they work well with other people. If this person’s role involves working with other teams, leading projects, or sharing tasks, you don’t want someone who is going to clash with everyone. It doesn’t matter. That said, talent and experience are also important. It is a balancing act, to put it mildly.
Know what you want, know who you are. This is great advice. Often, companies don’t look inward to decide who they are and who they are looking for, instead opting for a shotgun approach in interviewing candidates. Are you an energetic company that does retreats and allows skateboards in the office? It is something to consider when interviewing people. What’s your company’s goal for employees? What’s your mantra? Knowing these things and being able to articulate them intelligently during an interview process can really help you find a good fit.
Hiring isn’t easy, and it shouldn’t be thought of as such. It’s an integral part of most small businesses. Do the research, reap the rewards.
Last updated: October 2025