Hire the Best Person for the Team – Here are 7 Steps to Do It Right

Managing a virtual team begins when you hire the best person for the team. Yet there are so many possibilities in terms of service providers, that it can be overwhelming. A systematic approach will help you hire the best person for your online team.

Step One: Identify What You Need Them to Do

Before you even think about hiring someone, you want to stop and think about exactly what you’re hiring them to do. For example, do you need a specialist or a generalist? Do you need a virtual assistant or a project manager with event management experience? Do you need a social media manager? If you’re creating a team to take care of a project, then make a list of the tasks and jobs that you need to have accomplished.

Step Two: What Skills Do They Need?

Once you’ve identified the job that you’re hiring for, begin evaluating what you need in a new contractor or team member. Consider creating an SOP (standard operating procedure) if you’re hiring someone to manage a specific function of your business, for example, customer service. Then you can see exactly what the person needs to do, step by step.

Step Three: What Experience Do They Need?

How experienced do you want the person to be? This matters because if you hire an inexperienced person, you can train them. If it’s a specialized task that you aren’t familiar with, then you may want to hire someone with extensive experience, and maybe they can train and educate you.

Step Four: What’s Important to You?

The next part of the evaluation and hiring process is to decide what’s most important to you. You’ve already outlined the skills and experience required. Now it’s time to take a look at some other priorities and criteria you’ll use to evaluate potential candidates. Consider the following potential criteria:
o Price – What’s your budget for the job?
o Delivery – When do you need the work delivered by?
o Reviews/Testimonials – Do they have a good reputation in their industry?
o Gut Instinct – How do you feel about this person? Do you want to work with them?

Step Five: Create a Job Description

Write it out. Write down exactly what you’re looking for, including any of your priorities. For example, if you have a strict budget then you may want to include that in the job description.

Step Six: Post the Job If You Want to Hire the Best Person

Tell everyone you’re hiring. Post the opportunity on job sites, ask associates, and share on social media. Spread the word and start collecting responses to help you hire the best person for the job.

Step Seven: Filter and Communicate

The next step is to start weeding through your responses. Identify the top candidates and pick up the phone. Talk to them for a few minutes to make sure you’re on the same page. If everything seems to be positive then ask for samples of their work or references, depending on what you’re hiring them to do. Then consider trying a small test project. Test projects work well to help you understand how you’ll work with one another. They also help you make your final hiring decision.

Finally, while this isn’t a separate step it’s important to note that when you find great people, do what you can to keep them. Keep their schedule full with projects and work. Pay them on time and be someone that’s good to work with and for. Finding great people isn’t too complicated. Know what you’re looking for and be a great person to work with.