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Experts are of the opinion that many small-scale enterprises fail to employ people that can add value to their companies. SIMON EJEMBI writes on how that can be avoided
After putting in a lot of effort to
establish a business, it is only fair that you get something in return
for your labour. The expectation for many people is patronage, which can
lead to profit and growth for the business.
It is a reasonable expectation,
especially as many people have confessed that getting funds to convert
an idea into a business in Nigeria is easier said than done.
However, the truth, according to experts
and surveys, is that not many small business owners go on to convert
their businesses into successful ones. Some of them, rather than make
profit, end up with failed businesses and huge debts.
This is attributed to many factors, one of which is the employment of people who are not suitable for the business.
According to experts, many small
business owners are more concerned with cash flow for their business, to
the detriment of human capital.
By paying little attention to their
recruitment processes, they often end up employing the wrong people.
Even when they get the right people, they fail to properly manage them.
This mistake has huge implications for
businesses as the human capital is a crucial factor for businesses. This
is because employing the wrong personnel does not just cost the
business time and money, it can make it fail.
Stressing the importance of the right
personnel to an organisation, the President and Chairman of Council,
Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, Mr. Victor
Famuyibo, recently said, “When you look at the typical organisation,
regardless of whether it is in the private or public sector, you can
make the best investment for them in equipment – hoping to deliver on
productivity, you can invest in the best IT solutions for you finance
and logistic departments; you can have all of these under one roof, but
if you don’t have the right people – if your selection, the reward or
motivation of people has not been properly put in place – all your
efforts will be wasted.”
It is for this reason that business
development managers as well as human resource experts urge businesses
to do all they can to ensure that they employ the right people.
To do that, the following tips will be helpful.
Know what you need
According to experts, one of the
problems small businesses have is that they do not know exactly what
they need. Some may create vacancy for an office assistant only to
employ one and realise that they would have been better off getting a
driver. To worsen the situation, some would covert the office assistant
into a driver. With jobs being hard to come by, some people in such
situations have grudgingly accepted such changes, knowing they are not
qualified. Several of such people, do not only fail on the job they
cause a lot of problems for their employers. For instance, many
companies have found themselves in trouble because vehicles belonging to
them have been involved in fatal accidents.
This is why you should ensure that in
declaring a vacancy, you know exactly what you need and that there is a
clear job specification. Once that is done, you will be able to
determine the skills needed for the job and what you expect of whoever
is employed to get it done.
Embrace research
Before you employ someone, experts say
there is the need for you to carry out some form of investigation about
the potential employee. Beside the information in the resume submitted,
there is the need for you to run some background check on the person. In
doing this, it is important for you to get in touch with referees
provided. Many employers do not bother about this and it sometimes
leaves them with little information about their employees. When there is
trouble, they have nobody to reach out to for help.
It is not enough to have each employee
provide you with the names and contact information of three referees, it
is important that you get them to attest to the character and
capability of the person in question. According to experts, where
referees are evasive in filling out reference forms, it could be a
warning sign. Through your investigation, you will be able to determine
if the potential employee would fit in your organization.
Do not take interviews for granted
More entrepreneurs are getting to
realise that great certificates or degrees, do not automatically mean an
individual can get the job done. As a result of this, the interview
process is assuming a more important role in the recruitment process.
Experts say it is not wise for you to decide to employ someone because
he or she performed excellently in a written test, thereby making the
interview a formality.
The interview should be taken seriously
and used to make sure that the candidate is really suited for the job.
This means you need a clear process for the interview. You also need to
have specific attributes you will be on the lookout for. Ask questions
about their experiences – successes and failures – and key lessons they
have learned over the years. The interview is a great opportunity for
you to have a glimpse into the character and values of the person you
are about to hire and you should seize it.
Don’t wait for applications
When there is an opening in your
company, instead just putting a notice on a board, sending bulk SMS, or
places an advert online or in a newspaper and then waiting for people to
apply, experts say you may be better off scouting for the suitable
candidate. In the past, and even, now companies were known to reach out
to higher institutions in their quest to fill positions meant for fresh
graduates. They can get the best students or interested ones from these
institutions and then train them for the task ahead.
With declining educational standards
and millions of unemployed people out there businesses are not too keen
on this approach. They prefer to higher people that will fit in
seamlessly.
Scouting for such employees can be done using the social media as well.
Experts say with many people posting
details about their private and professional life on these platforms,
employers can easily scout candidates to fill positions where there are
vacancies at minimal cost. This is because rather than go through the
traditional recruitment process, they can just ‘sieve’ through profiles
and reach out to the right people on the Internet.
On sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook,
thousands of people are advertising their talent and qualification and
small businesses, which may not have the financial might to engage a
recruitment agency to fill vacancies, can take advantage of this.
These are not all you need to take into
consideration when recruiting but they sure would help, according to
experts. The most important thing you have to bear in mind is that if
you employ the wrong people, you risk losing your business. So, take
your time and get it right.
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