Making a New Managerial Hire? Read this First:

Your Direct Selling firm is experiencing unprecedented growth. There’s been an unexpected but necessary change among your staff. You’re expanding into new territories and markets. These reasons—and more—are signs you likely need to hire new managerial staff.

It goes without saying that the right hire should serve your firm’s current and future needs. S/he is a strong cultural fit and understands how important it is to best serve and support your customers. Recruitment firms have the expertise, connections, and know-how in attracting the appropriate talent for the Direct Selling market. Yet the timing of your hire is crucial. The prosperity of your company, the reputation of your brand, current team attitude and the potential employee’s well-being all depend on it.

Yet the timing of your hire is crucial. The prosperity of your company, the reputation of your brand, current team attitude and the potential employee’s well-being all depend on it.

 

Making a new managerial hire? Check these strategies to determine whether the timing is right:

Apply creative solutions to current problems

Start-ups were the first to use “hackathons”—collaborative, caffeine-fuelled coding sessions—to solve problems and create multiple ideas. The business world has embraced the concept, the marathon brainstorming sessions being used to boost internal creativity and generate ideas with minimal investment. (It’s not exactly a stretch to liken Direct Selling events to hackathons. Both are intended to motivate, inspire, recognize, create momentum, build culture and community, and strengthen commitment.) If sales volumes don’t yet justify that new hire, consider short-term job sharing.

Hone in on your company culture and work ethic

How healthy is your company culture? Company culture is fundamental to Direct Selling. It defines the experiences of the customers, distributors, leaders, management, and prospects. Internal and external parties are all considered to be part of the whole. Culture is paramount to how a Direct Selling firm and its sales force operate. Believing in the industry, what you can achieve and the people involved are must-haves. When hiring, make sure you have given your company culture a thorough evaluation against the needs of any new hire.

Be realistic

Direct Selling is a people business. Hiring is one of the most important tasks your firm can undertake. Whether working with a recruiting firm experienced with Direct Selling or going it alone, in order to make a successful hire, give the task the proper time and focus. Use procedures to drive your decision. Understand there will likely be ramifications to your budget. Can your potential hire scale with your business? If they onboard ten accounts now, can they triple that within 12 months? If not, consider the cost of lost productivity to your other staff.

Can your potential hire scale with your business? If they onboard ten accounts now, can they triple that within 12 months? If not, consider the cost of lost productivity to your other staff.

 

Don’t forget your current staff

As you hire, your last (but definitely not least) focus should be that of your current employees. No matter what the size of your firm, understand the real significance of any decision-making on your team. Wait too long, and you may face a staff breakdown. Hire too early, and you may affect your workers’ productivity. Keep communication open. Talk openly with your team about their needs, desires, and growth plans.

Header image credit: Alan Cleaver courtesy Flickr CC
Body image credit: regan76 courtesy Flickr CC