Hiring contractors in 2024? Do this first!
Are you planning on expanding your team this year?
If yes, you’re not the only one!
I’ve been seeing TONS of job posting popping up in Facebook groups, Instagram, and Twitter – so I guess I’m not the only who’s excited for the year ahead. 💃🏽
But here’s the thing… BEFORE you dive into creating those job descriptions and posting all over the interwebs in search help.
Allow me to sprinkle some wisdom into your hiring party…
When it comes to hiring contractors, there are two types of hires you can bring into your business: experts/specialists and and it’s CRUCIAL that you understand the difference so you can decide which type of hire is best for your business.
Experts & Specialists
Experts in their field, such as Online Business Managers (OBMs), Facebook ads agencies, accountants, lawyers, and integrators, bring their own processes and systems to the table.
When you hire an expert, they onboard you into their business and provide you with their expertise to strategize and solve specific problems in your business.
They lead the working relationship, and you don’t have to worry about onboarding, tracking hours, or offboarding them.
Virtual Assistants
On the other hand, general VAs, social media VAs, and other support staff are typically hired for implementation tasks.
They work hourly and require you to set up time tracking systems, ensure contracts are in place, and oversee their onboarding and training.
As the business owner, you take the lead in the working relationship, leading team meetings, tracking KPIs, and providing the necessary guidance and strategy.
Ask yourself the following questions to kickstart your hiring journey:
- What kind of tasks are on my to-do list?
If the tasks are highly specialized and require niche skills, a specialist VA might be more suitable. If the tasks are varied and cover a broad range, a general VA could be a better fit. - Do the tasks I need help with require specialized skills, such as graphic design, social media management, or tech?
If so, you might need a specialist who’s an expert in those areas. Especially if you don’t have these skills yourself and can’t train your new hire. It’s also possible to hire specialized virtual assistants, review your budget and consider how involved you’d like to be in the project. - Am I prepared to invest in training and onboarding?
If you’re hiring long-term team members, be prepared to invest time and resources in training and onboarding. Having robust systems and processes in place will help you manage these team members effectively and reduce turnover. - What is your budget?
Specialists usually come with a higher price tag. So consider the value they bring and how much support you can comfortably afford. - Do you have the capacity to guide and train a new team member?
This is not only about having the necessary skills, but also having the available hours to fully integrate them into their role and onto your team. - Are your systems and processes well-documented?
Having things documented means your systems are functional and easily understandable by new team members. It’s all about clear instructions, guidelines, and cheat sheets to make sure your new hire can jump into the groove smoothly and stay in sync.
These questions will help you hire the right people for the right positions in your business.
On a related note, I have exciting news!
For the last three months, I’ve been busy expanding and training my own team. That means we currently have openings for *NEW* OBM clients and are also offering implementation services through our VAs.
If you need strategic support, help with your operations, or tech, our OBM services are perfect for you.
If you’re looking for someone to implement your existing systems and processes, our VA services can provide the support you need.
Whether you need an OBM or a VA, I’d love to hop on a call with you and have a conversation about your goals and needs this year.
– Leeann