Team Building Tips for Leaders

 

Building a strong team is critical in the success of your business. Having the right or wrong people on board is what will make or break you in the end. And we don’t just mean your employees! You should carefully understand who you’re joining forces with as a partner, vendor or contractor, too. We’d like to share some of our favorite tips and resources on successful team building.

Tip #1: Know Their Personality

We can’t always afford to be picky, but it’s also important to make sure you can work with an individual and function with them effectively. More than that, their personality makeup plays a large part in whether or not an individual’s work ethic is in line with your company’s culture and values. It isn’t a bad idea to have potential employees take a quiz so you can understand them better.

Recommended Tools:

• Strengths Finders
• Core Value Index

Tip #2: Know Their Reputation

Hearing what other people have to say is critical. Don’t skip calling all of an interviewee’s references! Check their LinkedIn profile and see who recommends them and if their profile lines up with their resume. If you’re looking at creating a working partnership with another company, check their website for previous work and client testimonials. If a person or company comes highly recommended by someone you personally know, find out the details of why they are willing to promote this person. Above all else, do your research!

Recommended Tools:

• LinkedIn Profile, Yelp, Google search
• References
• Recommendations

Tip #3: Know Their Skill Level

Resumes can look impressive, but aren’t always the most accurate representation of a person’s skill set. As you talk with potential employees and business partners, ask specific questions about past experience working on projects similar to what your company does. Ask to see a portfolio (if applicable) or have an on-the-spot “test” to see an example of work.

Recommended Tools:

• Portfolio
• Check with past clients/employers
• A job skill “test” at the time of interview

Tip #4: Follow Your Gut

At the end of the day you know your business better than anyone else does. If you don’t feel right about someone, even if they seem like the perfect fit, it will pay off in the end for you to slow down and do more research before committing. A good, solid decision-making process helps protect you from making bad decisions.

Bonus: Social Media

Online profiles are playing a growing role in the recruiting game. Many big company recruiters look at a person’s Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ profiles in addition to their LinkedIn. You may not opt to go this route, but it is one more way you can get a feel for the person you’re interviewing.

Growing your team is exciting! It’s also a big responsibility. Be proactive, and don’t rush the process. Have high standards, but don’t expect to find someone who’s perfect. You can always start out on a trial basis for a 60- or 90-day period of time before you commit to any longer-term relationships.