Tips to Grow an All-Star Team
For many small business owners, growth is inevitable. At some point, you’re likely to find yourself with more work than you can handle, or wanting to expand your services, so you might decide to outsource to a contractor or bring on a new employee.
Note: this article comes in after that decision is made. If you’re not sure which way to go, I cover this in Podcast #74: Should you engage an employee or a contractor?
This is a critical point in any business, and the decisions you make can have huge impacts down the line—for better or worse.
I’ve been on both sides of this, as a lawyer and as an employer. Over the years, I’ve gained some pretty important insights, and I’ve finally nailed the process, so I’m going to share what I’ve learned: top tips to grow an all-star team (from an Australian business lawyer).
What is an All-Star Team?
An All-Star Team is a team of people with the right skills and an aligned vision.
It’s when everyone is the right fit: personality-wise, in terms of their values, and what they can bring to your business.
The key is that “all-star” doesn’t look the same for every team. What’s a “hell no” for you could be a “hell yes” for someone else.
For example, you might require a junior person who is keen to learn from you but won’t stick around too long. Someone else might be looking for a pre-packed skillset and a firm commitment to the business. It depends on what your business needs, and the gaps you aim to fill.
To Grow or Not to Grow?
I’ve heard it all when it comes to growing your team, and I've experienced it myself too.
The “to grow or not to grow” worry table:
Believe me, every business owner faces this puzzle when they’re thinking about scaling. And often people have different ways of solving it.
Finding the right fit
The best person for you? It’s the person you can connect with on multiple levels.
A good fit would include qualities like:
Having shared values and ambitions
A shared love of what you’re doing
Genuine care about the role and their contribution to your business.
A bad fit would be someone who takes advantage of your kindness and flexibility, who doesn’t care about quality output, who doesn’t prioritise their role over their other life interests (hello serious lack of productivity), or who really doesn’t care at all about the business or your vision.
And then there’s the middle ground. A great person, trying hard, who genuinely cares, who’s just not the right fit for the role in your business—but who would be stellar in someone else’s business in a role that was right for them. Someone who you agonise over having to have tough discussions with because you feel bad and don’t want to hurt them or cause them to feel unworthy. You know what I mean?
These middle ground candidates can be tough. But the reality is, hiring them can cause problems down the line. It’s hard, but try to take the emotion out of this decision. Remind yourself, it’s not a judgement, and it doesn’t mean they aren’t a great person, it’s just a process. And in hiring them, you may be holding them back from the role that is the perfect fit for them.
If you do hire the wrong person, it may set you back a bit—but it can be rectified. To make sure you’re protected from an unfair dismissal claim, check out my article: What’s Unfair Dismissal? Making Sure You’ve Covered All Your Bases.
Get It Right in 7 Steps
Based on what I have personally experienced throughout my career (yes, I’ve hired and fired for years) in this business, and in being the business lawyer for so many other small businesses, these are my top tips on how to grow an all star team:
Know what you’re looking for.
Get crystal clear clarity on what you want and need in the role. Know exactly what the duties and responsibilities are, and be clear on what sort of person you ideally want to fill this role (and then—this is really important—don’t compromise on these non-negotiables).
2. Be clear on your deal-breakers.
What’s a HELL NO to you? This might be a person who is over (or under) qualified, someone who has a second job, or even someone who talks over you—it’s your call.
3. Know if there is growth potential for this role.
If the person you bring on is looking to advance their career, then it only makes sense to hire them if there’s growth potential in the role. This may be a question you’ll need to answer in interviews, so it’s best to be prepared—and clear on what this will look like, and what needs to happen first.
4. Know your figures.
Be clear on what salary you can offer that will attract the right candidate (this always varies depending on the level of experience you need), and know what will be viable for your business. You must know what’s viable! There’s no point hitting it off with someone and offering them a salary that suits them because you like them and you want them to be happy, and then getting down the track only to realise that the salary is not viable long-term.
5. Know your KPIs.
Know what KPIs (key performance indicators) apply to the role, so you can be transparent about your expectations right from the start.
6. Have a plan.
Plan your job advertisement, be clear on what you require in the application (is a video important for you? Do you need referee details?), plan your recruitment process, your interview questions, and how many interviews you’re prepared to conduct.
7. Get the right documents.
Have an employment agreement ready to issue to the right candidate, and make sure this is tailored to your business and the role - (I don’t need to tell you not to use templates!). Have KPIs clearly set out in the contract, and have a plan for touch points and performance reviews.
Not sure what this looks like? Check out my articles:
Must-Haves To Include In Your Employment Agreements
In my experience, clarity and transparency are key. If you get all the above right, and if you work with a business lawyer to develop your employment agreements, you will know what your obligations are as an employer. That way, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you have a process in place—and if things don’t work out, your business is protected from an unfair dismissal claim!
When you're new to growing your business, it can be kind of overwhelming, to say the least! Check out my guide, Building Your Small Business: The Beginners Handbook for the need-to-knows.
Remember, if you'd like to reach out please book a free chat.
