This month we took on a few new team members on a trial basis. We welcomed them into the team and provided them with lots of support and training. Unfortunately, it turned out that they weren’t the right fit for our team, or for our clients, so the decision was made to end their trials a bit early.
Now I expect that most of you reading this are small business owners yourselves, so I’m hoping you will understand when I say that this is the part of being a business owner I hate the most. I don’t think that anyone out there can truly say that having to let staff go is a pleasurable or easy experience to go through, so it obviously took a lot out of me emotionally. What’s more, it made me realise that the issue we are having at the moment is the interview/selection process, which is all part of the process that sits with me. It’s become clear that I need to fully review the process I am following now and update it for a current job market. Perhaps my approach to candidate interviews and selection is too traditional to withstand the modern job market, and updates need to be made. Whatever the problem, I will certainly work hard to find a solution to bring the right people into the team to help support our current team, and our client’s needs.
I have spoken recently to other business owners who are experiencing similar recruitment struggles at the moment. It would appear that finding people with the right skills and personality, who have the ability and willingness to work within a small business environment are proving to be few and far between. What was once a booming market seems to now be drying up. It would be interesting to know if other people are experiencing such issues and what solutions you are using to overcome this obstacle (please do feel free to email me your methods!).
On a positive note, I took the remaining team members out for a day of teambuilding exercises where we made stained glass mirrors and candle holders. Fun was had by all, and in spite of the disarray caused by the recent team leavers, the team is stronger than ever. We are positive that we will find a way through this crisis and get the right people on board to help us serve our clients even better than we do already.
If you feel like you might be the right fit for our team (or know someone who might be) then please contact us on 01634 540340 or [email protected]
Until next time readers….stay connected 😉
