Hiring is never easy, no matter what. But when you’re small or just starting out, you know how important it is to build the right team for your company. So how do you hire employees for a small business?
As I’m sure you’re aware, everybody has their strengths and struggles, including you. You don’t even have to take a personality assessment to know that there are tasks that are harder for you and others that you love.
But when you take one, specifically the DISC assessment, you’ll understand those strengths and struggles on a much deeper level.
Quick Breakdown of DISC
If you’re unfamiliar with the DISC Personality Assessment, it defines a person’s communication and selling style. It can be beneficial for anybody, though, not just salespeople.
It breaks personalities down into four main types, and it shows you where you are in the spectrum. Few people are only one type. Most people are a mix of several, and then they often shift in different circumstances.
DISC shows all of that.
The four types and main traits are:
- D = Dominant — gut-driven and task-oriented
- I = Influencer — gut-driven and people-oriented
- S = Steadiness or Steady Motivator — fact-driven and people-oriented
- C = Conscientious or Compliant — fact-driven and task-oriented
Your primary type is how you naturally operate. Your secondary type can be natural too, but it may be less used or more forced.
However, some people function in the middle of all four or easily shift between them in different situations.
What Type of Personality Are Most Entrepreneurs?
Most entrepreneurs tend to be in the I and D areas of the DISC personality spectrum. They’re risk-takers, people who follow their intuition and gut, and they usually prefer to work without as much authority or oversight.
They also tend to have big ideas, especially I’s.
S’s and C’s can be incredibly successful entrepreneurs too, but it’s not as common.
But as “let’s do this” as I’s and D’s are, they have their shortcomings too.
I’s may have difficulty accomplishing day-to-day tasks, and D’s aren’t always the best with people. And these are two things you need to be able to do well to build a business.
That’s why knowing how to hire employees for a small business is so important.
Hiring Employees Using Assessments
In an earlier post, we covered using DISC assessments to hire salespeople.
That’s not the only use for it, though. Assessments are always vital if you’re running a start-up, building a new team, or just looking to hire for any role.
Not only do they help you learn more about the people you’re thinking about hiring, but it helps you build a cohesive team.
You’ll learn:
- where everybody is on the DISC spectrum,
- how they’ll communicate with each other,
- how to communicate with them,
- what they might struggle with,
- and what motivates them.
Best of all, you’ll be able to hire people that can pick up the slack in the areas where you are weakest.
Finding Balance When Building Your Team
For example, I’m a C. Yes, C’s can be entrepreneurs! I’m incredibly task-oriented and fact-driven, meaning I never trust my gut. I do the research, ask questions, and then make decisions.
As such, some of the tedious tasks that others hate are my favorite parts of running a business. Gathering data, tracking KPIs, and building processes are my bread and butter. They make me excited to jump out of bed every morning and get to work.
However, I have a terrible habit of thinking of people as tasks to check off the list occasionally due to my productive nature.
Through DISC, practice, and a sales method that helps me communicate more effectively, I’m fine during sales conversations or times when I need to be “on.” But I have to prepare. So when a client or VA suddenly needs help, that’s where my struggles pop up.
I knew I needed an account manager that could be both task-oriented and people-oriented.
She’s an even split between C and S. Her’ task mode’ helps ensure she gets everything done. And her’ people mode’ allows her to communicate with our VAs and clients in a patient and nurturing way.
Together, our strengths and struggles balance each other and create a perfectly functioning, harmonious team.
How to Hire Employees for a Small Business
Different areas of the DISC spectrum are often most well-suited for specific types of roles. It’s not written in stone, and I’m proof that anybody can do anything. But it can serve as an excellent guideline for helping you to put the right people in the right positions in your company or team.
D’s — If you’re looking for somebody to fill an authority position, D’s are a good place to start.
They are task-focused, so they might not be the most nurturing. But you can typically trust them to do whatever they need, especially since they often have the big picture in mind.
They also have no issues with conflict, so they’ll easily correct mistakes or highlight problems within a team.
I’s — This is the most people-focused group.
They’re comfortable in networking situations and reaching out to others, and they often have big and new ideas. If you need an energetic salesperson, creator, or PR manager, I’s are a great fit.
Just make sure they are adequately motivated and stay busy doing what they enjoy. Otherwise, their work may suffer.
S’s — S’s put people first.
S’s often make great caregivers and nurturers because they put the needs of others before their own. This makes them perfect for HR, assistance, or customer service roles.
Their conflict-averse nature can make it more difficult for them to speak up when there are issues, so you might need to check in with them a bit more than you would with other personality types.
C’s — Most C’s are human robots and huge nerds.
(It’s okay, I’m a C, so I’m allowed to say that.)
We need as much data as we can get before making decisions or starting projects. We like to ask tons of questions, and we will be happy to develop processes and plans. C’s are usually best suited for accountants, analysts, and developers.
However, C’s struggle if we don’t have a clear direction or enough information when starting something new. And our thoroughness can come off as slowness to others.
Hiring the Right Employees for Your Small Business
Again, these traits and types are very fluid. Since most people have secondary personalities, these hard lines blur very quickly because that second personality can make a huge difference.
But a business can’t succeed very long without a team that works together.
Diversity is one of the most important keys to finding that cohesiveness. Like my account manager and I, when different personalities work together, the strengths and challenges balance the whole team.
Knowing how to hire employees for a small business is one of the most vital skills you can have as an entrepreneur.
If you’re interested in DISC personality assessments for your team or future hires, click the link. Or send me a message here.
