Workplace Doctor: Start-ups need to find the right team members

As well as hiring the right people with the right technical expertise, the entrepreneur behind a growing company must also ensure they are the right fit.

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I am an entrepreneur with a growing business. The team has grown to 30 in under 18 months. I am now finding some niggles with the staff; some turn up late, one is repeatedly sick, another seems the wrong fit for the role, another does not follow orders. I need to adopt a clearer management style to ensure things run more smoothly, so how do I tackle these grievances without making them take up any more of my time than they should? AP, Dubai

You have grown from a small and agile start-up to a fully-fledged SME in just over a year-and-a-half. First of all, well done. This is a testament to your hard work and entrepreneurial spirit, and will surely have its inevitable niggles and growing pains. Fortunately, you have noticed these early on and want to act upon it, as they do become harder to deal with the more you grow.

Many start-ups experience the challenges that come with growing fast, and some even fail after growing too fast. The common traps can be instances like misunderstanding finances, only focusing on sales, not managing cash flow and most importantly employing the wrong people or not being able to deal with these people effectively. As an entrepreneur, you may have relied mainly on your own grit and determination and the help of maybe a trusted few. But now you have a team of 30 and these individuals form groups, which then become teams. Ultimately, a workplace culture is established and it seems that a small number of people are creating rifts in the type of workplace that you have envisioned your company to be.

One of the greatest challenges faced by small businesses is they hire what appear to be good, experienced people with solid technical expertise, but these people may not necessarily have the right attitude and don’t make good team members. In my work with organisations I often come across fantastic individuals, but it is much rarer to come across good people who can work well together to be a fantastic team. They serve as role models to each other, holding others to account for substandard behaviour or poor performance.

Before we think about the individuals you already have, the situation you have found yourself in should make you reflect on evolving your hiring processes for the future. Productive long-term hiring is about more than just making sure the candidate has the right skills and experience for the open position. They shouldn’t just appear technically competent on paper, but also seem a good fit for your growing team and long-term vision.

Remember most human beings are great at acquiring new skills and knowledge, but not so good at changing their attitude, because it is often subconscious. Any new joiner will have to work well and contribute meaningfully to the culture you’ve established for your company. If a candidate feels like a square peg in a round hole, they aren’t going to last long. Look at the ones you already have who are already chipping away at something you have worked tirelessly to create.

Going forward, do everything possible to assess that the next person you’re planning to hire is willing and able to successfully navigate your environment and work with established team members – before you officially bring them on board.

Now that we have hopefully set you up for hiring the right people in the future, let’s think about your current predicament of the lateness, sickness and lack of fit. Firstly, I agree that a clearer and more consistent management style is what is required. People need to know this is unacceptable and that there are direct repercussions if it continues. There may be some kind of domino effect as people see others getting away with taking certain liberties. This is not a time for mixed messages, as employees seem to be taking advantage. You need to be clear, confident and stand your ground on matters.

With a team of 30, these people should not all report directly to you. If you have managers in place, then they should be having these conversations. Equally, lateness and sickness are HR issues and could be dealt with by bringing in someone responsible for personnel, unless you already have that person in place. Ultimately, whoever has these conversations, including you, needs to be firm but fair. You may want to understand each situation further (especially the role fit), but be willing to move people on if they refuse to change. Remember as you grow, it is about having fantastic people who contribute to your success, rather than being stuck with people who hinder it.

Doctor’s prescription

Your entrepreneurial spirit has helped you grow fast, but short-term choices and placing technical expertise over personality and attitude can leave you feeling stuck. Now you need a long-term vision for the employees you want by your side and the team culture you would like to create, and work at it by implementing rules, procedures and a steady management style.

Alex Davda is a business psychologist and client director at Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School, and is based in the Middle East. Email him at business@thenational.ae for advice on any work issues.

business@thenational.ae

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