Post Recession Leadership Strategies

Help Wanted: Hiring Tips for Small Businesses

During what many are now calling the “Great Recession,” small business leaders were often forced to focus solely on just keeping their companies afloat. Consequently, quick-fix staffing solutions may have been implemented. As the business cycle shifts toward more positive ground, now is the time to re-evaluate your staffing situation so that your company is positioned for growth. Success hinges on knowing both when and whom to hire. Following are tips based on our company’s new booklet, Post-Recession Leadership Strategies: A Small Business Guide to Hiring, Managing and Retaining Staff:

Recognize When It’s Time to Add Personnel
After making tough staffing decisions during the downturn, no business wants to over hire. But how do you know when it’s time to start slowly rebuilding your team? Beyond feeling chronically short-staffed, there are other signs that you may need to bring more personnel aboard. They include:
· An overload of overtime. Your employees frequently need to put in extra hours to complete their work. Remember that if you’re not paying proper attention to staffing, your overtime costs can run more than a full-time salary.
· Burnout. Staff members show signs of fatigue and stress, including missed deadlines, more errors, decreased morale and increased absenteeism.
· Constant firefighting. Important projects are repeatedly deferred in order to put out more pressing fires.
· All hands must be on deck at all times. The absence of just one person throws your entire team off schedule.

Look for Specific Traits and Abilities
Small companies need power players — talented people who can fulfill multiple roles, balance an array of duties and be comfortable with fluid job descriptions. Whether you seek accounting professionals for full-time, part-time or temporary positions, there are some key traits to look for in candidates. Those who thrive in small business environments typically possess:
· An entrepreneurial spirit: They apply creative and innovative thinking to realize strategic business goals.
· A team-oriented attitude: They have history of working collaboratively, constructively and cooperatively with others.
· Complementary personality: They adjust easily to the corporate culture and maintain an optimistic mindset.
· Customer-service focus: They are personable and able to provide superior service and support to clients, customers and other stakeholders.
· Commitment and engagement: They show interest in and commitment to the “big picture,” understanding the link between individual effort and the group’s success.

Robert Half Finance & Accounting, a division of Robert Half International, is the world's first and largest specialized financial recruitment service. Robert Half Finance & Accounting is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., and has 360 locations worldwide. To request a copy of “Post-Recession Leadership Strategies: A Small Business Guide to Hiring, Managing and Retaining Staff,” please visit www.roberthalf.us/smallbusinessseries.