When business was going well and my confidence was high, I thought I could do recruitment of staff on my own without speaking to the experts … so I “Broke The Rules” and messed up, resulting in unnecessary costs which almost annihilated my business. It was a very frightening, expensive, exhausting and stressful experience.
It was easy to do because the promises, with written proof, were so good they couldn’t possibly be “fiction”, could they? It’s human nature to trust what one sees and hears without establishing authenticity.
I broke the cardinal rule of not sticking to my area of expertise. To make matters worse, I had access to all the experts I needed for this exercise:
- The Recruitment expert who has all the tools to check for authenticity, objectively;
- The Marketing expert who has employed many people in her extensive career; and
- The Labour expert who specialises in all the necessary legalese.
Be warned – don’t think you can do it on your own. There is no reason why you should even try. Don’t believe everything you are told, and most of all do not be naïve.
Avoid my experience by:
- Contacting the experts and seek their advise
- Checking previous work contacts and employers
- Speaking to suppliers
- Insisting on “wriggle impossible” contracts
- Setting performance targets and make them non negotiable
You have everything to lose – protect your business and avoid severe stress levels.
So be careful when recruiting staff and speak to the experts before you sign anything at all.