No matter how long you’ve been a manager or business owner, certain parts of the job may never seem to get easier. One such aspect of owning a small business such as a petrol station is continually guaranteeing that your service station is staffed with the best team possible. Any one in the industry would report that some of the largest problems are a result of having a poor or insufficient team of employees around you.
So then the question remains: How do you manage to find the right employees for the job?
Thankfully, much of what leads to poor hiring decisions can be linked back to common mistakes. Avoiding common issues or missteps in your hiring process is the key to making sure you build a hardworking team at your petrol station that you can rely on for years to come.
Writing a Poor Job Description
You know your business inside and out. It can be tempting to assume that because you are so well acquainted with every aspect of the job you are hiring for, those applying should be too. This is a faulty assumption and can lead to bad hiring decisions, or employees who are brought on without a full understanding of what their job entails.
To avoid confusion and potential conflict in expectations, ensure that job descriptions are written thoroughly and comprehensively. Take your time describing daily expectations and demands. Be clear about preferred experience and beneficial skill sets. Doing so will allow the right candidates to see themselves working for you, and allows people with the correct skill sets for the job to apply.
Though writing a job posting may not be your favorite thing in the world, taking your time with the very first steps can expedite the rest of the process, save you serious time, help you to avoid conflict later on down the road.
Taking Too Much Time (or Too Little!)
Getting the pacing of hiring correct for your service station is important to avoid gaps in your team, but also to avoid hiring the wrong people in haste.
Hiring gaps and being short staffed are no fun for anyone that they affect. They create chaos, stress, and generally make those working at your petrol station unhappy. Being too slow to hire and fill these gaps will undoubtedly breed resentment.
Conversely, you should never rush into hiring decisions. Take your time to vet and interview potential candidates to ensure they are a good fit for the position. Sometimes, a hasty hire can turn out to be as bad, or even worse, than hiring nobody at all!
Avoiding Input From Your Team
Running a small business is not meant to be a one person job. Hiring new staff shouldn’t be either. While you certainly have the power and aptitude to make final hiring decisions, you shouldn’t avoid input from your team. Your workers have first person experience and insight into the position that you may lack from your managerial perspective.
Before hiring, ask for input from your employees. Find out what they think the most important parts of the job are, what is the most challenging, and what they believe you should be looking for in a candidate. Seeking feedback will help you know what to look for, as well as create a positive work environment where all team members at your service station feel involved and heard.
Being Too Unstructured
As a small or independent business, it may be easy to think that you are exempt from the structure and red tape of larger companies and corporations. And while it’s true that you may be allowed to make your own decisions, it doesn’t mean your hiring process should be completely unstructured.
Traditional hiring practices exist for a reason. They are time tested and proved to get good results. Ignoring structure, skipping interview processes, or bringing on too many casual hires may work for short stints, but will inevitably cause issues later on.
Lacking Transparency
As a hiring manager or business owner, it is your responsibility to be honest about the details of the job you are hiring for. No worker appreciates accepting a job only to be met with expectations and duties that were never mentioned at any point during the hiring process.
While writing your job description, and throughout interviews, be honest and transparent with candidates about the details of the position. From pay, to hours, to company culture, budging the truth benefits no one, and can result in serious consequences.
Relying On What’s On Paper
Interviews exist for a reason. It can be easy for a potential candidate to tell you everything you want to hear on paper. Without meeting the person, they may seem like the perfect fit. However, it’s hard to get a true gauge or read on a potential hire until you are able to talk with them face to face.
Upon meeting someone, you can ask them more about their written experience, get a sense for their personality, and investigate aspects such as motive and intentions if hired. Skipping the interview process and trusting a great looking resume can result in an ill-fitting hire, conflicting personalities, and general workplace discontent.
ServoPro members are able to access our ServoPro HR Helpdesk to get personalised help and advice with all staff related issues. If you require further information please contact Dan on 0490 415 063 or [email protected]