One of the biggest challenges for a startup besides raising capital is finding the right employees to help build the company. It’s even more challenging if management cannot afford to pay them a good salary, which becomes a test of loyalty for future rewards. Regardless of what a new enterprise is able to pay, there must be a human bond between managers and workers. At the core of this relationship must be strong leadership and evaluation skills.
Constructing a Winning Team
The human element in business plays a vital role in the formation of a staff. Without enough attention paid to this concept, workers may feel unappreciated and drift toward other job opportunities. High turnover rate can weaken a new business due to the extra time and training costs to bring new employees up to speed. In order for a business to prosper, there needs to be team awareness of the company’s vision to create synergy that drives growth.
It’s important to stay focused on the fact that every business operation is unique in some way. Each potential employee is like a piece to a bigger puzzle, but still human. Even in a business environment managers must remember that emotion is never locked out of the equation. Individuals will either enjoy working for the company or they won’t, no matter what level of objectivity is involved with the job.
Employee Roles and Skills
A business must find the right people who are willing to take on specific job roles and possess the proper skills. At the same time management must keep in mind every human, even the most professional, has flaws and is capable of committing errors. Seeing past such weaknesses is part of the challenge to building a winning team of contributors. As the old saying goes, a business is only as strong as its weakest link.
Each potential hire must be evaluated for both skill level and ability to follow direction. It’s up to management to be aware of what each player brings to the table and where they fall short of expectations. A strong leader can then base assignments on this knowledge. Assuming everyone will do their job perfectly can be a recipe for disaster. One of the keys to building a successful team is knowing which team players are self-starters so that they can be paired with those who need help with direction.
As every job can be defined by roles and required skill levels, management must also be cognizant that different personalities working together can contribute to productivity. Sometimes it takes experimentation and refinement to know which individuals work best together.