Personal experience: how to assemble a team of beginners and grow professionals from them
Miscellaneous / / October 20, 2021
Sometimes it is more profitable than looking for experienced professionals.
Dmitry Turkan
Every year small firms appear that are associated with handicraft work. These are flower salons, modeling studios, bakeries and ateliers. For the owners, such enterprises, as a rule, are not only a business, but also a job for the soul. Therefore, people are very sensitive to the search for employees.
This approach is also familiar to me. I created a team of florists from scratch twice, in Baku and St. Petersburg. And in the end I was convinced that it is easier to grow masters for yourself than to find suitable specialists. For me, two factors turned out to be decisive:
- I treat my business as a craft. And the craft is something that has long been learned personally from the masters. To master it, you need not talent, but perseverance, responsibility and accuracy. In other words, personal qualities.
- I have a recognizable style that has developed over 25 years in the profession. It is for him that clients come, which means that my team must adhere to it. Style is not only technique, but also many nuances, details that make up the finished work. And teaching them to a beginner is easier than retraining a master.
Let's figure out how to find the perfect employee who is in front of your eyes will increase into a professional.
Start with yourself
To understand which of the applicants is suitable, you first need to answer the question of who you are. Instagram is now talking a lot about personal brand, personality unpacking, archetypes. But it works not only on the Web and not only with clients.
Understanding your own goals and values is the key to ensuring that the employees with whom you along the way will come.
There is no magic here, just clear criteria for selection will appear, and the phrase “Intuition prompts” will turn into “I know why (I don’t) want to work with this person and what I can give him”. So, my project has always been primarily about creativity and growth. Therefore, three years ago, when I was just opening a flower salon in St. Petersburg, I did not promise my employees mountains of gold. But training, experience, participation in interesting projects could guarantee. That is why they came to me.
Create a portrait of the ideal employee
What qualities are paramount for you? For some, it will be punctuality and an analytical mindset, for others - the ability to concentrate. So, for me, the important factors were love for nature, craving for creativity and passion for work. I went to the Instagram of applicants and, if I did not see any flowers or even photographs of nature there, I realized that we would not work together.
Try to write out as many points as possible, you will come back to them.
Determine the selection criteria for the interview
This is where the list comes in handy. Think about how you can test a person for these qualities. Usually a personal conversation or a small assignment is enough, but you can immediately test the candidate "in battle" and offer to do some work. The main thing is to pay attention not only to the result, but also to the manner of communication, enthusiasm and communication skills. You should be comfortable with the candidate.
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When I collected team in Baku, I didn't even have flowers at hand. But there was a pen and wire. And I suggested to all applicants to wind the wire on the handle. This simple test has proven to be very powerful. I saw how people respond to non-standard requests, whether they immediately proceed with the implementation or ask 10 clarifying questions, how accurately they work and whether they easily make contact. And this helped to make a decision: I knew for sure that I could explain how to collect a bouquet, but I did not intend to teach scrupulousness or cleanliness.
Set goals
What specific tasks are you currently looking for an employee for? What will he have to do in a month? And a year later? Write down the range of tasks and deadlines that you are ready to lay down for training.
When the first employee came to me in St. Petersburg, the salon was still undergoing repairs and I needed more handymen than a florist. And Sabir gladly agreed to become one. An electrician by profession, he helped make lighting, monitored the progress of construction, took out the trash. And only after the completion of the renovation he began to perform the work of a florist's assistant.
Establish a trial period
Perhaps you will understand from the first conversation that this person will remain with your team, but if in doubt, indicate clear deadline, after which you will make a decision. So you save yourself and the employee from long throwing.
Start delegating
Growth is not possible with tight control. Sometimes the principle "thrown into the water - learned to swim" gives the best result. Do not be afraid trust your employees, and if they are trying to avoid any responsibility, perhaps you simply forgot to add it to the list of required qualities.
The first time I left an employee with the keys to the salon a week after we met. I was leaving for Moscow, and I needed a person who could oversee the repairs. Sabir agreed. When, upon arrival, I saw that he had exactly fulfilled all the requests, I realized that the person would definitely be on my team.
Support
Anxiety is a common companion for beginners when there is little knowledge and a lot of places where you can break wood. Showthat a mistake is not the end of the world, and let the employee find the way out. So the employee will believe in his own strength.
Encourage initiatives
A professional is not just a conscientious performer, but a person who is ready to propose ways of development himself. Give your employees this opportunity. Find out how they see their growth in the project, what they are ready to focus on, where they want to show their strengths. When people come to me to get a job, I always ask: “What else can you be useful? What are you interested in? How do you see your development? "
Among my florists there is an employee who has taken a great interest in videography and is now developing my YouTube channel. And the photographer helps to create content for the blog. Even a rapper works for me: I turn to him if I need to succinctly formulate some idea.
Strengthen the team
When an employee feels like a part of the team, he is more responsible in his tasks and does not limit himself to the range of his business, if he sees that he can be useful in something else. And for this, a person must understand and share your mission, goal and development strategy. Organize joint events, from weekly glider Before teambuilding, keep an eye on the team atmosphere and give employees the opportunity to express their opinions.
Motivate
Working for a percentage of sales isn't for everyone, but it's not the only way to inspire employees.
- Say thanks. Sincere gratitude energizes and helps to build relationships not only in the "boss - subordinate" system, but also at the "person - person" level.
- Reward additional work. The most difficult days in floristry are holidays. Employees work hard. But after that, I definitely give them the opportunity to recover: I do a day off, give certificates for a massage or a spa.
- Arrange joint projects. Participate in exhibitions, forums and shows. When an employee sees that your activity can be versatile and exciting, it becomes easier for him to get through the periods of routine work, which is in any business. My team and I go out of town to collect natural material, arrange outdoor events, participate in international festivals and competitions. Each of these events gives a sense of the significance and fulfillment of the workflow.
It's difficult to create a custom team, but it's worth it. I could feel the full benefits of this approach when, after opening the salon, I went on vacation for the first time with a feeling of absolute confidence that my business was in good hands.
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