Building Your SME Dream Team

To attain business success, and to progress from one corporate epoch to the next, an SME must form an energetic and skilled team that can communicate and deliver the company’s vision. Here are some helpful tips to help you pick out your own SME dream team:

  • Cover all bases. SME’s usually have to work with tight resources – before venturing out to hand pick your dream team of staff, make sure you know exactly what tasks need to be done, and what skills will be required to bring on board. Having a tight blueprint to refer to will help make sure you maximize available resources and hire the right mix of talents.
  • Use the Follow Company feature on LinkedIn to tap into those firms who may have a hotbed of highly talented people for you to pick and choose from. You can learn how to do this from the link provided above. Additionally, probe similar companies to yours, and your business contacts within LinkedIn to find out more about potential candidates who may be an ideal fit.
  • Make it known on your website that you’re hiring. You may well have people who visit your site that might be ideal candidates to fit your company needs. A dedicated “Work For Us” link that goes to a page detailing your company and some of the roles available can be a great way to tap into new talent.
  • Sell your business vision to those who you believe can help realize it. For new companies and startups in particular, this can be essential in getting the best talent. As your SME leader or manager, it’s your job to sell just how great your company is, the heights to which it aspires and the ultimate rewards available to those who help make it happen. Some people are risk takers, and will be willing to parlay the promise of a huge payday down the line against a slightly bigger salary today.
  • Project a human touch. Many employees see their bosses  more often than they see their own spouses. Having a good professional relationship with colleagues is an important part of the work aspect to most people. When you speak to possible candidates you like the look and feel of, get to know their likes and dislikes and work that into the interview.
  • Tap into their professional desires and aspirations. Pay might not be the only reason that motivates a professional. Get to know what additional professional motivators your candidates have – better training? More flexible or remote working? The more you understand your candidates preferences over and beyond their pay grade, the better your chances of luring them over without actually paying over the odds.
  • Include your other key staff in the interview process. Remember that people have a different professional attraction to one another. In an SME, potential workplace conflicts can be an exasperating experience for all to endure – a single personality clash could cause overall company morale to dip, and that can lead to productivity issues. Before hiring new members to your dream team, make sure you consult and include your main go-to guys and gals in the final decision.