A key part of business growth is hiring new people for your organisation. Knowing when you need to add to your team, what characteristics and skills you should be looking for, and how to hire the right person, are difficult tasks. So take advice from James Hakesley, Founder of Cube Video and one of Buckinghamshire’s Growth Champions, who took on the challenge of expanding his team.

James Hakesley, Growth Champion, on:

Recruitment

“We always prided ourselves on being able to deliver projects quickly, but eventually we realised that with just two of us at Cube Video, we didn't have enough time to do everything we had lined up. That’s when we realised we needed to hire. It took a while to come to terms with the fact that we couldn’t run the whole business ourselves, but now I can’t imagine running the business without the whole team.”

Who to look for

“You need to find people with talents and skills that will not simply complement those you already have, but crucially, that will add to them.

“When looking for new employees, think about hiring people straight from university or college, or take on interns. They often come with fresh ideas and no fears, and have not been taught bad habits in previous jobs that may hinder them within your business.”

Conducting interviews

“Conducting interviews for the first time was an interesting experience! It’s something you have to learn to do if you want to grow your business. Research online for question ideas and hone in on what is important to your business. Write down everything that you like and don’t like about a candidate. Set them tasks that directly relate to the job. Use tasks that you have already completed within the business to see if candidates add anything to what you did. Those that do will likely make good additions to your team.”

Personality is crucial

“You can tell who you click with when conducting interviews. Employees have to be compatible with the rest of the team, because no one wants to work with people they don’t like. That’s why personality is sometimes more important than skill, because while a lot of skills can be taught, personality is hard to disguise, and if the different members of a team don’t click, business performance will be affected.

“When hiring, picture the times when you won’t be there, because your employees represent your brand when dealing with customers and clients. Which candidates will represent your brand well when they are alone on business? When your customers and clients can’t tell the difference between established employees and new ones, that’s when you know you’ve hired the right person.”

How to advertise your vacancy

“Consider listing vacancies as internships rather than full-time roles, as this relieves pressure on the new team member to feel like they have to know everything from day one. Make it clear that it's okay to make mistakes and learn from them.

“When posting job adverts, think about where the candidates you want will be looking. Search out sector specific job sites. Get feedback on your advert from others in business.”

Watch the Growth Champions’ top tips videos

Buckinghamshire’s Growth Champions have successfully grown their businesses within the Entrepreneurial Heart of Britain. They have had successes and setbacks, made mistakes and learnt from them, and have great experience to pass on.

Watch Buckinghamshire’s Growth Champions provide their top tips on growing a business: bbf.uk.com/news/get-winning-advice-on-growing-your-business

Keep an eye out for more top Growth Champion advice

Buckinghamshire’s Growth Champions have a wealth of knowledge and experience to pass on, so keep reading the Buckinghamshire Business First newsletter, check the news section of our website, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest advice on growing your business.

Business support team on hand

If you’d like to speak to our business support team about actions that you could take to grow your business, call 01494 927130, email BusinessSupport@bbf.uk.com, or fill in our online form to book a chat with a member of the team.