Passage Three
When youre trying to select people, asking questions isnt always the right way to test their competency and its OK to think laterally. There might be some exercises that you can get people to do to demonstrate certain competencies, like that they can use computer programs to perform certain tasks, so its OK to do those things. There are also certain tests that can be used to assess a persons style and whether they might be the right fit with your particular business.
Once you have found the right person for the role, its important that you bring them into the business the right way, that theyre properly guided, that they learn about things like equal opportunity, proper conduct in the business, the duties they have to perform, the key relationships that they have in the business. And the sooner they learn all those things, the more likely it is that theyre going to stay, and the more likely it is that youre going to get the return on the investment that youre making in that person.
For a small business owner, bringing someone into your business who you dont know is a significant investment, commercially and in trust and emotion. Its very important that you get it right, and equally if youre not doing well in this there are substantial loss waiting for you.
Theres plenty of help available to you to get it right, and such websites like the Fair Work website can help you out, and theres lots of other training available for anyone who wants to be better as an employer.
