Module 2 - Hire Find and Hire the Right People

Hiring a Virtual Team Keep it simple! Not the same as a corporate (employee) hiring process Be clear on what you need (Module 1) The more work you do upfront, the less headache later on Different approach to hiring committed team members vs. project based

Creating your “Job” Posting Enough to give good details but not TOO much (be clear on your WHAT and deliverables) Consider your budget How do you want people to apply? What information do you want from them? –Don’t ask for a resume! These are business owners, not employees –Ask for portfolio, examples and such Establish a deadline for application

Rates – What to Expect Hourly rates –Virtual Assistants/Admin support $25 - $50+/hour - average is $35/hour –Specialists/Experts $50 - $100+/hour (will vary greatly depending on type of speciality) Rates can vary greatly depending on experience and level of skill See the Rates worksheet for more information

Where to find People First – look in your own backyard Look at current team, if applicable – someone there might be ready to step up Your own network – your clients and subscribers are a great resource Referrals – ask your friends/colleagues for referrals (but still make sure they are a fit for YOU)

Where to find People Places to look outside your company: The THRIVE Directory & Job board – browse profiles and post your job Online freelance sites, ie. Elance.com Classified sites such as Craigslist can be great Hire a recruiter to find someone for you (especially important for key roles, such as an OBM)

Shortlisting Applicants Sort applicants into yes, no maybe “buckets” Did they respond with what you asked for? Timeliness of response – how quick did they apply? Custom response vs. templated response – did they show personality? Do they have the skills, training or experience you are looking for? Did they take extra initiative – checked out your website, specifics regarding your needs

Experience isn’t everything Sometimes hiring someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience can be a huge benefit They are “hungry” for the work They don’t bring any habits or set ways of doing things They are willing and able to “learn on the fly” and have resources to do so (community of peers) Have they invested in themselves through training and/or certification?

Interviewing Candidates Aim to interview 3 to 5 people for key roles (at least 3) – don’t jump at first one! This is a 2 way street – they need to be asking as many questions as you are, if not more (shows business mindset) Aim for 30 minutes, could be more depending on conversation or book another time (probably hour at most) Ask them to quote or submit a proposal for your needs For key roles have other people on your team interview them as well - they will see things you don’t See list of interview questions in the resources

Making your Selection Look for someone who demonstrates the HOW How did the conversation flow? Good communication, connection vs. hard to chat, etc Did the conversation indicate good understanding of your needs and how they are going to help? Do they follow-up with you? How “hungry” are they for the opportunity? Be sure to check references (see reference questions in resources) Do a “gut check” – what does your gut have to say? What do other team members think? See the Making your Selection Checklist in Resource Center

Date before getting Married HIGHLY recommend ‘dating’ before committing to any long term team members Do a project or two together and see how it goes Buy a chunk of time from them to start with (i.e. 10 hours) vs. going straight to retainer You will generally know pretty quick if it’s a fit, but don’t let ‘dating’ go beyond 90 days.

Negotiating Compensation These are professionals, they need to be able to tell you what they charge Then it’s a matter of negotiating if that doesn’t fit your budget – tell them what works for you Aim for simple compensation to start – hourly or project based - and then explore alternative/incentive options later (which we will discuss in Module 4) Be willing to “invest” in a good team See Rates List in the Resource Center

Contracts – a must have! MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SIGNED CONTRACT FOR ALL WORK (yes, I said all) Cover keys points such as: working as a contractor, rates, services being delivered, how to terminate contract, confidentially, non-compete Beware of the ‘work for hire’ clause Have your agreement checked by a lawyer if in doubt Review at 90 days (end of dating period) – continue or not, if anything changes need to revise the agreement See Contract Template in Resource Center

Hiring for Projects Be super clear up front re: what you actually want the end result to be (and deadline for completion) May or may not “interview” the person – might be based on portfolio or referral (i.e. a graphic designer) Get a quote or proposal from them that clearly outlines deliverables, timelines and costs. If need be, do a dating project before bigger projects ie. Have them design a banner before designing your whole website