The Ops Authority

Scaling a business means multiplying ourselves, our product, and creating processes that make things run smoothly. You do all of those things through operations.

If scaling a business is a desire that you have, I want you to look inward. Ask yourself if you are using a directing style or a leadership style. Your answer to this will help you with navigate your next steps.

For the past several episodes, we've been talking about hiring; both how to set your business up to hire, and how to know when it's time to hire.

Today, I want to help you identify if you are operating in a director style, or a leadership style.

Directors vs. Leaders

First, we should make some distinctions between director style and leadership style.

Director Style

Directors give specific instructions, and have very defined roles.

• They closely supervise tasks of people who work for them.
• Their communication is mostly top-down. They have knowledge and they hire teams and tell them exactly what to do.
• The team members are often inexperienced and need a lot of direction. It's a good fit for both sides, because there is a symbiotic relationship; one side likes to give direction and the other side likes to take direction.
• The director closely monitors the progress, and is very tactical and hands on.

Leadership Style

Someone who operates in the leadership style is able to have a vision and communicate it.

• They value autonomy, and are less controlling on the outcome because they allow others to own it.
• They are naturally positive which makes them great motivators.
• They are good negotiators.
• They do PR for their vision very easily.
• They have the ability to plan and forecast for their business.
• They are strategic rather than tactical.

Example of Director Style

Most of us start the business in the director style. An example is a service based business, such as a coach or consultant. They started their business because they have a skillset and a passion that they could market. Over time they found they needed to multiply themselves, so they started to bring on team members that had the same competency, so they could help more people. Their team was likely entry level talent (because that's what they can afford) and they gave them a blueprint. This is the agency model, and it can be a very effective way to build a business.

"The director mindset is not bad, but it can be limiting."

Ask yourself, "What is your vision for your business or your role in the business"? If it's bigger than what you are practicing today, consider moving into the leadership mindset

Two Ways to Move From Director Style to Leadership Style

• If your vision is to move out of the owner/operator space and into the CEO role, you are going to have to step out of the day to day. This is why a Director of Operations (DOO) is integral to helping you scale your business. With a DOO, you can focus on forward facing activities, such as creating content, creating relationships and selling. If your vision requires you to move into this role, you will need to navigate your team growth by pulling in people you can trust so you can truly remove yourself from being the "deliverer".

"Replace yourself so that people in your team can work autonomously."

Bring people on, develop them, and start trusting them. If they understand your brand and you don't need to oversee them, then you are moving from the director to leadership mindset.

• If you can't develop the talent that you want, consider bringing in experts from other industries, such as marketing or sales experts. Hire for this expert talent when you realize that you don't have all the knowledge that it takes to get you to that next level.

"When you start to step out of the directing and into the leading, you are going to have to be surrounded by people who have depth, skill and aptitudes that are different than yours."

Scaling Your Business

If you want to scale your business you will need to remove yourself from the day to day, and instead rely on people and processes; your team, automation, and your brand to do the work.

If you resist getting out of the day to day, take some time to look inward: Are you capable and ready? Do you need help to step into leadership and release control? Are you equipped to support yourself so you can move forward? The answer to these questions will help you to figure out your next steps.

If you are finding yourself in the director style, and aren't sure why, consider taking the Kolbe A Index.

Weekly Ops Activity

Do you feel you are in the director phase or the leadership phase? Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 (1 being directing, 10 being leadership), and report your score in the Ops Insiders Facebook Group. Also make sure to cast a vision for yourself and indicate what will be required of you… then share it with us!

Previous Episodes Mentioned

Episode 30: How To Break The Bad Habits of Hiring

Episode 31: Ten Questions to Answer Before You Write a Job Description

Episode 32: Step By Step To Onboard Your New Hire

Episode 33: How To Set Goals To Measure Your Team's Performance

Episode 34: What to Do Before, During, and After Firing

Episode 35: Pricing Pet Peeves & How to Set Pricing as a Service Provider

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/36.

One of the biggest challenges of hiring and offering services in the online space is the rates for services. Today I'm sharing some of my pet peeves around the rates that support staff service providers are charging and offering a few ideas about what we can do about it.

Support staff are a critical part of moving a business forward. After all, the whole point of scaling is to outsource and leverage human capital to help business owners do their jobs better. But when it comes to pricing, it can feel like the wild west.

Likewise, if you're a service provider such as a VA, OBM, or PM, it can be tough to figure out how to raise your rates in a way that works for you and your clients.

Pricing Pet Peeves 1. No Standard Rates

I hear from business owners all of the time that are amazed at the variation of rates that service providers are charging. They want to hire amazing support staff, such as virtual assistants, online business managers, and project managers… but what these service providers are charging is all over the board. The range can be anywhere from $3/hr (for a non-US based provider) to $60/hr.

"The reality is that these people are charging whatever they want."

There is no industry standard, nor is it regulated. Business owners are left wondering: "Can we trust the people who charge $3/hr?", OR "Are we going to get our money's worth for $40/hour?"

2. Arbitrary Pricing

If you are a service provider, chances are that when you started out, you probably undervalued yourself. You are critical for these business owners to scale. They need you so they can grow their business.

That being said, one of my biggest pet peeves is when someone comes into the field without a ton of experience, claims a title, and attaches an arbitrary price for their services.

Instead of charging a random price, you need to look at what you are charging vs. what you are delivering.

3. Raising Rates Without Changing the Offer

Often, when service providers enter the market they tend to undervalue their work. They get comfortable at a price, but realize that they have undervalued themselves - so they raise their rates without changing their offer.

The solution to this is to enrich your offer and make it commiserate with the work you are delivering. Always make sure you are upleveling what it is that you are delivering.

One way to do this is to outline exactly what your clients are getting for a certain price. If clients know exactly what they are getting, they can judge for themself if the package is worth the investment.

Continue to enrich your offer, then go ahead and increase your pricing.

"With a greater offer, you'll attract higher level clients."

4) Raising Rates Because You're Maxed Out on Time

Let's say you have 25 hours available each week you can work with clients. Once you fill those up, most people will tell you to "raise your rates."

I disagree; you can't raise your rates unless you sweeten the deal. You may be meeting your income goals, but your client doesn't care. Clients care about what you are delivering to them.

Don't just raise your rates because you are maxed out on time; that's not your clients fault. Again, you need to enrich your offer. Try to anticipate their needs, and overdeliver.

"It all comes back to enriching your offer to make it easy for your client to pay you more."

How to Set Pricing as a Service Provider

If you're a service provider, at some point you have to transition from charging hourly to charging for an outcome. Look at your deliverable, and figure out how you can turn your hourly rate into package pricing or a retainer package.

Look inside your business and quantify what it is that you need, how many hours you have and what problems you can specifically solve. What are your unique skill sets that solve your ideal clients' problems?

Don't just charge an arbitrary price. Think about what you deliver, and what the value is for your client. How much time and effort are you saving them by providing the deliverable?

Don't undervalue yourself, but make it easy for someone to hand over money because what you are going to deliver to them is far more than what they can do for themselves.

Don't forget to check out the Director of Operations certification program, which teaches you the systems and processes that I used to be successful and well known in this space.

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/35.

One of the biggest challenges of hiring and offering services in the online space is the rates for services. Today I’m sharing some of my pet peeves around the rates that support staff service providers are charging and offering a few ideas about what we can do about it.

Support staff are a critical part of moving a business forward. After all, the whole point of scaling is to outsource and leverage human capital to help business owners do their jobs better. But when it comes to pricing, it can feel like the wild west.

Likewise, if you’re a service provider such as a VA, OBM, or PM, it can be tough to figure out how to raise your rates in a way that works for you and your clients.

Pricing Pet Peeves 1. No Standard Rates

I hear from business owners all of the time that are amazed at the variation of rates that service providers are charging. They want to hire amazing support staff, such as virtual assistants, online business managers, and project managers… but what these service providers are charging is all over the board. The range can be anywhere from $3/hr (for a non-US based provider) to $60/hr. 

 

“The reality is that these people are charging whatever they want.”

 

There is no industry standard, nor is it regulated. Business owners are left wondering: “Can we trust the people who charge $3/hr?”, OR  “Are we going to get our money's worth for $40/hour?”

 

2. Arbitrary Pricing

If you are a service provider, chances are that when you started out, you probably undervalued yourself. You are critical for these business owners to scale. They need you so they can grow their business. 

That being said, one of my biggest pet peeves is when someone comes into the field without a ton of experience, claims a title, and attaches an arbitrary price for their services. 

Instead of charging a random price,  you need to look at what you are charging vs. what you are delivering. 

 

3. Raising Rates Without Changing the Offer

Often, when service providers enter the market they tend to undervalue their work. They get comfortable at a price, but realize that they have undervalued themselves - so they raise their rates without changing their offer.

The solution to this is to enrich your offer and make it commiserate with the work you are delivering. Always make sure you are upleveling what it is that you are delivering.

One way to do this is to outline exactly what your clients are getting for a certain price. If clients know exactly what they are getting, they can judge for themself if the package is worth the investment. 

Continue to enrich your offer, then go ahead and increase your pricing.

 

“With a greater offer, you’ll attract higher level clients.”

4) Raising Rates Because You're Maxed Out on Time

Let's say you have 25 hours available each week you can work with clients. Once you fill those up, most people will tell you to “raise your rates.” 

I disagree; you can’t raise your rates unless you sweeten the deal. You may be meeting your income goals, but your client doesn’t care. Clients care about what you are delivering to them. 

Don’t just raise your rates because you are maxed out on time; that's not your clients fault. Again, you need to enrich your offer. Try to anticipate their needs, and overdeliver.

 

“It all comes back to enriching your offer to make it easy for your client to pay you more.”

 

How to Set Pricing as a Service Provider 

If you’re a service provider, at some point you have to transition from charging hourly to charging for an outcome. Look at your deliverable, and figure out how you can turn your hourly rate into package pricing or a retainer package.

Look inside your business and quantify what it is that you need, how many hours you have and what problems you can specifically solve. What are your unique skill sets that solve your ideal clients’ problems?

Don’t just charge an arbitrary price. Think about what you deliver, and what the value is for your client. How much time and effort are you saving them by providing the deliverable? 

Don't undervalue yourself, but make it easy for someone to hand over money because what you are going to deliver to them is far more than what they can do for themselves.

Don’t forget to check out the Director of Operations certification program, which teaches you the systems and processes that I used to be successful and well known in this space. 

 

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/35.

Inevitably, there will come a time in your business where you have to let someone go. Even though this is not fun to talk about, it's important to be prepared and know what to do when you must deal with the firing process.

As you grow your business, you will likely have a bad hire or a mis-hire. Or, you might find that you don't need a position anymore; perhaps you aren't getting ROI from this role. Today we are talking about having that breakup conversation, and exactly what to do when it's just not working out. We'll talk about what to do before, during, and after the firing decision.

I want to remind you that I have training on this very topic called Hiring Simplified. This training will help you take the emotion out of the process and methodically choose the best people. It's full of project plans, templates, scripts and much more, so you can hire smart and avoid having this breakup in the first place.

Before Firing

Before you go all in and fire this asset, you need to evaluate this person in a few areas. And you also want to make sure you are prepared when you go into the firing call with the person.

1. Performance

You will need to figure out what isn't working. If you have those Key Results Areas (KRAs) in place, you can leverage them for this discussion. Understand and articulate what's not working, and how this performance is hurting your business. Take emotion out of it and use the data provided by the KRAs. This will help the person understand your decision.

If you don't have KRAs in place, take some time to make this factual, and communicate clearly. Use the Reflection Template:

• Reflect on what is working (wins)
• Reflect on what is not working (opportunities)
• Reflect on what is missing
• Reflect on what is confusing

Think about how these relate to the relationship and the role. You just need to look at how this person is performing in your business.

2. Behavior

You'll want to capture what is not working in regards to behavior. Using the Reflection Framework, expand and be specific with your examples. Is their performance lacking? Is it their behavior? Is it simply a cultural misfit?

This will take time but it will help you understand why it doesn't feel right. Note your pet peeves and behaviors that rub you the wrong way. This will help you have a better conversation with the team member and if you record the notes, it will ensure that you don't make the same hiring mistake again.

3. Culture

At this point you may have noticed something about your company culture that you didn't screen for before hiring this person. How did this person mesh with your business? Did they reflect the values of your brand? You may see something about your culture that emerges, that you didn't before. Moving forward, make sure you incorporate this into all future job descriptions.

4. Note Accomplishments

What are the advancements you've made together? If there is a direct reflection of their work, let them know that their value has been appreciated. Otherwise just articulate how they have helped you advance in your business.

5. Create Talking Points For the Notification Call

You are the leader of the business, so you need to set the intention for this call; know what to do and feel certain in it. This may be an emotional process, so take some time to create a script so you can focus.

• State the reason. If it's a performance issue, include examples. If you have KRAs bring them up.
• Share wins you've celebrated while in partnership together.
• State the last day they will be working.
• Discuss the expectations for wrapping up. What needs to be finished or documented?
• Verbalize the last date of payment.
• Let them know if you will have a professional recommendation for them.
• Set the date of the call.

During The Firing Call

This will likely be emotional for both parties. Don't make small talk. You need to deliver a planned message, and keep it short. This is an opportunity to show up as a leader and own the integrity of your brand. Deliver your message without a ton of emotion.

Ask for feedback from them so you can continuously improve. If it is amicable, you can ask during the conversation. However, if they are taken by surprise don't ask yet; they will not be able to give you quality feedback when they feel like a failure or are in a state of defeat.

After The Call

Fight the urge to hide and don't feel bad; this is about your leadership in your business.

Once you've got the logistics ironed out, touch base with the person and give them a written recap in voxer or email.

• Start with appreciation
• Follow up with next steps
• Restate the expectations for off-boarding
• Determine if you need their attendance on future calls
• Decide when you will share updates with other team members
• Gather any tax forms
• Celebrate accomplishments

Moving Forward

Revisit your notes and decide if you still need to hire for the same role. Look at your existing team: have their skill sets evolved? Have your needs changed? What roles do you really need to get you to your 1-2 year vision?

"Pause and reflect before you make another reactionary hire."

You will get better at hiring each time you do it because you know what you are looking for.

If you're new to this and it all seems daunting to you, I can help! This is my zone of genius! Simply fill out this form and I can help you understand what you need.

Weekly Ops Activity

Use the Reflection Framework to note what's working, not working, missing, and confusing. Look at this as it relates to your team, or your business model, and share it in The Ops Insiders Facebook Group.

Previous Episodes Mentioned

Ep 33: How To Set Goals To Measure Your Team's Performance

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/34.

Inevitably, there will come a time in your business where you have to let someone go. Even though this is not fun to talk about, it’s important to be prepared and know what to do when you must deal with the firing process.

As you grow your business, you will likely have a bad hire or a mis-hire. Or, you might find that you don’t need a position anymore; perhaps you aren’t getting ROI from this role. Today we are talking about having that breakup conversation, and exactly what to do when it's just not working out. We’ll talk about what to do before, during, and after the firing decision.

I want to remind you that I have training on this very topic called Hiring Simplified. This training will help you take the emotion out of the process and methodically choose the best people. It's full of project plans, templates, scripts and much more, so you can hire smart and avoid having this breakup in the first place.

 

Before Firing

Before you go all in and fire this asset, you need to evaluate this person in a few areas. And you also want to make sure you are prepared when you go into the firing call with the person.

1. Performance 

You will need to figure out what isn’t working. If you have those Key Results Areas (KRAs) in place, you can leverage them for this discussion. Understand and articulate what's not working, and how this performance is hurting your business. Take emotion out of it and use the data provided by the KRAs. This will help the person understand your decision. 

If you don’t have KRAs in place, take some time to make this factual, and communicate clearly. Use the Reflection Template:

• Reflect on what is working (wins)
• Reflect on what is not working (opportunities)
• Reflect on what is missing
• Reflect on what is confusing

Think about how these relate to the relationship and the role. You just need to look at how this person is performing in your business. 

 

2. Behavior

You’ll want to capture what is not working in regards to behavior. Using the Reflection Framework, expand and be specific with your examples. Is their performance lacking? Is it their behavior? Is it simply a cultural misfit? 

This will take time but it will help you understand why it doesn’t feel right. Note your pet peeves and behaviors that rub you the wrong way. This will help you have a better conversation with the team member and if you record the notes, it will ensure that you don’t make the same hiring mistake again. 

  3. Culture 

At this point you may have noticed something about your company culture that you didn’t screen for before hiring this person. How did this person mesh with your business? Did they reflect the values of your brand? You may see something about your culture that emerges, that you didn’t before. Moving forward, make sure you incorporate this into all future job descriptions.

 

4. Note Accomplishments

What are the advancements you've made together? If there is a direct reflection of their work, let them know that their value has been appreciated. Otherwise just articulate how they have helped you advance in your business.

 

5. Create Talking Points For the Notification Call

You are the leader of the business, so you need to set the intention for this call; know what to do and feel certain in it. This may be an emotional process, so take some time to create a script so you can focus.

• State the reason. If it’s a performance issue, include examples. If you have KRAs bring them up.
•  Share wins you've celebrated while in partnership together.
•  State the last day they will be working.
• Discuss the expectations for wrapping up. What needs to be finished or documented?
• Verbalize the last date of payment.
•  Let them know if you will have a professional recommendation for them.
• Set the date of the call.

 

During The Firing Call

This will likely be emotional for both parties. Don’t make small talk. You need to deliver a planned message, and keep it short. This is an opportunity to show up as a leader and own the integrity of your brand. Deliver your message without a ton of emotion. 

Ask for feedback from them so you can continuously improve. If it is amicable, you can ask during the conversation. However, if they are taken by surprise don’t ask yet; they will not be able to give you quality feedback when they feel like a failure or are in a state of defeat.

After The Call

Fight the urge to hide and don’t feel bad; this is about your leadership in your business.

Once you’ve got the logistics ironed out, touch base with the person and give them a written recap in voxer or email. 

• Start with appreciation
• Follow up with next steps
• Restate the expectations for off-boarding
• Determine if you need their attendance on future calls
• Decide when you will share updates with other team members
• Gather any tax forms 
• Celebrate accomplishments

 

Moving Forward

Revisit your notes and decide if you still need to hire for the same role. Look at your existing team: have their skill sets evolved? Have your needs changed? What roles do you really need to get you to your 1-2 year vision? 

“Pause and reflect before you make another reactionary hire.” 

You will get better at hiring each time you do it because you know what you are looking for.

If you're new to this and it all seems daunting to you, I can help! This is my zone of genius! Simply fill out this form and I can help you understand what you need. 

 

Weekly Ops Activity

Use the Reflection Framework to note what's working, not working, missing, and confusing. Look at this as it relates to your team, or your business model, and share it in The Ops Insiders Facebook Group. 

Previous Episodes Mentioned

Ep 33: How To Set Goals To Measure Your Team’s Performance

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/34.

How are you measuring success and performance of your new hires? Do you go by a gut feeling, or do you have something more substantial in place?

We've been talking about the hiring process in the last few episodes. By this point, you've done the work, and found a good fit. But now that you've hired how do you know if your new hire is worth it?

In this episode, I'm talking about Key Results Areas (KRAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): how they relate, and how they can help you evaluate your new hire based on data.

Managing Performance

As a leader, you are going to have to manage the new hire's performance. A common mistake is to hire and assume someone is going to perform, but this is a complete assumption. You hired because you want to scale your business. This means you have to separate yourself from directing and move into the leadership part of your business. You must lead this new talent.

"There is no such thing as pulling an expert into your team."

You might think that if you hire high level talent, they will come into the business ready to go on Day 1. But the reality is that you are going to have to manage this person; they won't automatically know what is important to you. So how do you manage this?

Key Results Areas

You need to create Key Results Areas (KRAs) for every role in your business.

A KRA is defined as something for which you are completely responsible for. If you don't do it - it doesn't get done. It is an activity that is completely under your control. It is an output of your work that becomes an input to a contributing factor to the work of others.

For a business owner, a KRA is a metric that indicates that your hire is doing exactly what you want them to do. It can be a metric or a milestone, but I encourage you to put a number on it if you can.

Create Measurable Goals

Create goals for the first 30-60-90 days for your new hire, and define what success looks like for them.

"Often we hire on our gut intuition, which is not the most strategic way to acquire the best talent. Having a structure like this in place will make this an unemotional process."

When you create these goals before the interview process you can then give them a chance to demonstrate previous work experience and accomplishments. This will lead to satisfaction on both ends, because:

1. Both parties are clear.
2. The new hire can hit ground running; they know what they are running toward.
3. You'll be able to evaluate performance based on numbers you have already set.
4. Will make performance trackable, and provide a structure for reviews.
5. If it's not working out, you will have facts to lean on in the case you need to separate.

Key Performance Indicators

A Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is a metric that is used to evaluate a company goal. The KRAs for each role in your business should align with the KPIs of your business. This will help each role understand how their work contributes to the team. You should:

1. Track these KRAs by creating a document that your team can update weekly; this becomes your company dashboard.
2. Create KRAs for every single role in your business. This will help you feel certain that you're making the right hiring decisions.

As small business owners, it's tempting to hire and do things really quickly without using these frameworks, but I promise that if you take the time and do the work, you will be much happier with your hiring decisions in the long run!

Weekly Ops Activity

For this week's activity, I want you to create a goal for your marketing and assign a KPI. Then determine what KRAs will support the goal.

This will help you understand what to look for in the person who will assist you with marketing in your business. Post this information in The Ops Insiders Facebook Group.

Previous Episodes Mentioned

Episode 32: Step By Step To Onboard Your New Hire

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/33.

How are you measuring success and performance of your new hires? Do you go by a gut feeling, or do you have something more substantial in place?

We’ve been talking about the hiring process in the last few episodes. By this point, you’ve done the work, and found a good fit. But now that you’ve hired how do you know if your new hire is worth it?

In this episode, I’m talking about Key Results Areas (KRAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): how they relate, and how they can help you evaluate your new hire based on data.

 

Managing Performance

As a leader, you are going to have to manage the new hire’s performance.  A common mistake is to hire and assume someone is going to perform, but this is a complete assumption. You hired because you want to scale your business. This means you have to separate yourself from directing and move into the leadership part of your business. You must lead this new talent.

“There is no such thing as pulling an expert into your team."

You might think that if you hire high level talent, they will come into the business ready to go on Day 1. But the reality is that you are going to have to manage this person; they won't automatically know what is important to you. So how do you manage this? 

 

Key Results Areas 

You need to create Key Results Areas (KRAs) for every role in your business. 

A KRA is defined as something for which you are completely responsible for. If you don’t do it - it doesn’t get done. It is an activity that is completely under your control. It is an output of your work that becomes an input to a contributing factor to the work of others.

For a business owner, a KRA is a metric that indicates that your hire is doing exactly what you want them to do. It can be a metric or a milestone, but I encourage you to put a number on it if you can.

 

Create Measurable Goals

Create goals for the first 30-60-90 days for your new hire, and define what success looks like for them.

“Often we hire on our gut intuition, which is not the most strategic way to acquire the best talent. Having a structure like this in place will make this an unemotional process.”

When you create these goals before the interview process you can then give them a chance to  demonstrate previous work experience and accomplishments. This will lead to satisfaction on both ends, because: 

1. Both parties are clear.
2. The new hire can hit ground running; they know what they are running toward.
3. You’ll be able to evaluate performance based on numbers you have already set.
4. Will make performance trackable, and provide a structure for reviews.
5. If it’s not working out, you will have facts to lean on in the case you need to separate.

 

Key Performance Indicators

A Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is a metric that is used to evaluate a company goal. The KRAs for each role in your business should align with the KPIs of your business. This will help each role understand how their work contributes to the team. You should: 

1. Track these KRAs by creating a document that your team can update weekly; this becomes your company dashboard.
2. Create KRAs for every single role in your business. This will help you feel certain that you’re making the right hiring decisions.

As small business owners, it’s tempting to hire and do things really quickly without using these frameworks, but I promise that if you take the time and do the work, you will be much happier with your hiring decisions in the long run!

 

Weekly Ops Activity

For this week's activity, I want you to create a goal for your marketing and assign a KPI. Then determine what KRAs will support the goal.

This will help you understand what to look for in the person who will assist you with marketing in your business. Post this information in The Ops Insiders Facebook Group.

 

Previous Episodes Mentioned

Episode 32: Step By Step To Onboard Your New Hire

 

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/33.

Hiring is an entire project within itself… it has to have a plan, a goal, and excellent delivery. So once you've found the perfect fit... what happens next?

Onboarding is challenging, and for that reason it often gets overlooked. Even if this is your first hire, you do not want to skip this part.

I'm here to talk you through the onboarding process, and give you a rundown of what a new employees' first week should look like. By following these processes, you'll help your new hire to hit the ground running.

If you're short on time (or patience) and don't want to deal with the hassle of hiring, let me do the dirty work for you! Fill out this form and let me worry about finding that perfect person for your team.

I also offer a Done With You option, through my Hiring Simplified course, which will make your search much simpler by giving you a streamlined project plan.

Why Onboarding is Important Retention

When you plan the onboarding process you will decrease your turnover, which is one of the highest operational costs of being a business owner. Give the new hire a wonderful experience, and make them feel nurtured as they enter your business. This will increase retention because they feel cared for immediately.

Building Solid Relationships

When there is a plan, there will be a deeper connection with your new hire. As small business owners, there is a close overlap between family and your contractors- you rely on these people so your relationships with them matter. Don't let onboarding feel too transactional; make it personal.

Quicker ROI

When you onboard a new hire, you define what their job will look like, give them tools, ideas, opportunities, and education as they enter your business. They will be able to in their role much more quickly, therefore saving you money in the long run.

Plan Your Onboarding Processes NOW Prepare for a Hiring Season

Do you have a nondisclosure agreement or a contract that you use? Create them all ahead of time so you aren't scrambling. Whether you talk to an attorney or draft these yourself, you need to protect and define what is expected of the role.

Articulate Your Mission Vision and Values

Onboarding is the perfect time to deeply define the goals for the role. Map out expected outcomes, and define what they need to do to be successful. Make sure you outline milestones for 30, 60, and 90 days.

Outline Your Systems and Processes

Impress your new hire by having an itinerary with all necessary information available for them ahead of time.

"Often, new hires feel like a nuisance because they don't know what to do… change that from the very beginning"

1. Provide access to tools though a system like Lastpass
2. Draft an annual calendar and show them everything on the docket for the year
3. Create or review systems and standard operating procedures
4. Draft an introduction email to your team
5. Create a prioritized task list that will provide direction and ownership
6. Craft a simple organizational chart that documents each person's role so new hires know who to go to with questions
7. Outline a system for communication (weekly meeting, one-on-one check-ins, etc.)
8. Put all necessary documents in a shared folder

"The worst thing you can do is to not prioritize onboarding for your new hire"

Welcoming Your New Hire

Consider giving a gift to your new hire to show them that you are excited to have them on your team.

The First 5 Days Day 1

The first day is all about the culture; you need to verbally articulate what your business is about. What is your why? What motivates you? How did you start your business and what is your big vision? Transition into how the new hire fits into the role, as well as expectations.

"People want to know what to do and what is expected of them"

You'll also want to talk about key results areas (KRA's). A KRA is a statement of what you expect in 30-60-90 days. You are telling them how to be successful in the business. Outlining KRAs will provide clarity, and guide your weekly conversations. You will be able to gauge if they are capable of the expectations, and course correct if needed.

Day 2

Day two is about building rapport and demonstrating best practices. How will they be a successful part of your business? How will they fit into your vision? Show them the organizational chart and help them understand where they fit in.

You also want to spend some time getting to know them personally. You may want to ask them to take a personality assessment and go over the results. Understand what their motivations and their "why."

Demonstrate best practices:

• Introduce them to the team. This is their "official unveiling." Explain how they fit in, and show how they will be valuable to the team
• Gather important information about them via an intake form (i.e. address, birthday, assessment types, etc.)
• Go over your policies, procedures, and boundaries
• Share your brand guidelines
• Review your annual calendar to go over the vision and plan for the next 6-12 months

Day 3

This is the first day you will give them access to the tools you use in your business. Now, it's time to get to work, and you will begin the process handoffs. You as the leader don't necessarily have to be involved in the training, but you will cast the vision so they can see how this particular process fits into your business.

This is also a day to do specific tool training, so that they can start adding value quickly.

Day 4

Continue the process handoff. The goal is that by the next Monday they will be 50% profitable, meaning that they will know their responsibilities and will be 50% capable to perform the role you hired them for.

Day 5

Create time for the new hire to meet with your team, and set the schedule for your weekly or monthly calls.

You also need to ask for their feedback of your onboarding process. Make sure to listen to their suggestions and take action. Show them that you value their feedback.

Lastly, you will set expectations for the following week. Look at the 30-day KRA, and break it down into what they can do in one week to feel successful.

"We want them to have quick wins because we want them to feel connected and valued'

Weekly Ops Activity

I want you to take action! Look at your systems and create a tool assessment that lists all of the tools you use in your business and indicates who needs access to them. Make sure to post it in The Ops Insiders Facebook Group.

Previous Episodes Mentioned Episode 4: The Core of Business: Your Mission, Vision and Values Stay Connected:

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

Join the Ops Insiders Facebook Community:

[convertkit form=5271754]

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/32.

Hiring is an entire project within itself… it has to have a plan, a goal, and excellent delivery. So once you’ve found the perfect fit... what happens next?

Onboarding is challenging, and for that reason it often gets overlooked. Even if this is your first hire, you do not want to skip this part. 

I’m here to talk you through the onboarding process, and give you a rundown of what a new employees’ first week should look like. By following these processes, you’ll help your new hire to hit the ground running. 

If you’re short on time (or patience) and don’t want to deal with the hassle of hiring, let me do the dirty work for you! Fill out this form and let me worry about finding that perfect person for your team. 

I also offer a Done With You option, through my Hiring Simplified course, which will make your search much simpler by giving you a streamlined project plan.

Why Onboarding is Important Retention

When you plan the onboarding process you will decrease your turnover, which is one of the highest operational costs of being a business owner. Give the new hire a wonderful experience, and make them feel nurtured as they enter your business. This will increase retention because they feel cared for immediately.

 

Building Solid Relationships

When there is a plan, there will be a deeper connection with your new hire. As small business owners, there is a close overlap between family and your contractors- you rely on these people so your relationships with them matter. Don’t let onboarding feel too transactional; make it personal.

Quicker ROI 

When you onboard a new hire, you define what their job will look like, give them tools, ideas, opportunities, and education as they enter your business. They will be able to in their role much more quickly, therefore saving you money in the long run.

Plan Your Onboarding Processes NOW Prepare for a Hiring Season

Do you have a nondisclosure agreement or a contract that you use? Create them all ahead of time so you aren’t scrambling. Whether you talk to an attorney or draft these yourself, you need to protect and define what is expected of the role.

 

Articulate Your Mission Vision and Values 

Onboarding is the perfect time to deeply define the goals for the role. Map out expected outcomes, and define what they need to do to be successful. Make sure you outline milestones for 30, 60, and 90 days.

 

Outline Your Systems and Processes

Impress your new hire by having an itinerary with all necessary information available for them ahead of time.

“Often, new hires feel like a nuisance because they don’t know what to do…  change that from the very beginning”  

1. Provide access to tools though a system like Lastpass 
2. Draft an annual calendar and show them everything on the docket for the year
3. Create or review systems and standard operating procedures
4. Draft an introduction email to your team 
5. Create a prioritized task list that will provide direction and ownership
6. Craft a simple organizational chart that documents each person's role so new hires know who to go to with questions 
7. Outline a system for communication (weekly meeting, one-on-one check-ins, etc.)
8. Put all necessary documents in a shared folder

“The worst thing you can do is to not prioritize onboarding for your new hire”

Welcoming Your New Hire

Consider giving a gift to your new hire to show them that you are excited to have them on your team. 

 

The First 5 Days Day 1

The first day is all about the culture; you need to verbally articulate what your business is about. What is your why? What motivates you? How did you start your business and what is your big vision?  Transition into how the new hire fits into the role, as well as expectations. 

“People want to know what to do and what is expected of them”

You’ll also want to talk about key results areas (KRA’s). A KRA is a statement of what you expect in 30-60-90 days. You are telling them how to be successful in the business. Outlining KRAs will provide clarity, and guide your weekly conversations. You will be able to gauge if they are capable of the expectations, and course correct if needed. 

 

Day 2

Day two is about building rapport and demonstrating best practices. How will they be a successful part of your business? How will they fit into your vision? Show them the organizational chart and help them understand where they fit in. 

You also want to spend some time getting to know them personally. You may want to ask them to take a personality assessment and go over the results. Understand what their motivations and their “why.”

Demonstrate best practices:

• Introduce them to the team. This is their “official unveiling.” Explain how they fit in, and show how they will be valuable to the team
• Gather important information about them via an intake form (i.e. address, birthday, assessment types, etc.) 
• Go over your policies, procedures, and boundaries 
• Share your brand guidelines
• Review your annual calendar to go over the vision and plan for the next 6-12 months 

Day 3

This is the first day you will give them access to the tools you use in your business. Now, it’s time to get to work, and you will begin the process handoffs. You as the leader don’t necessarily have to be involved in the training, but you will cast the vision so they can see how this particular process fits into your business.

This is also a day to do specific tool training, so that they can start adding value quickly.

 

Day 4

Continue the process handoff. The goal is that by the next Monday they will be 50% profitable, meaning that they will know their responsibilities and will be 50% capable to perform the role you hired them for.

 

Day 5

Create time for the new hire to meet with your team, and set the schedule for your weekly or monthly calls.  

You also need to ask for their feedback of your onboarding process.  Make sure to listen to their suggestions and take action. Show them that you value their feedback. 

Lastly, you will set expectations for the following week. Look at the 30-day KRA, and break it down into what they can do in one week to feel successful. 

“We want them to have quick wins because we want them to feel connected and valued’

Weekly Ops Activity

I want you to take action! Look at your systems and create a tool assessment that lists all of the tools you use in your business and indicates who needs access to them.  Make sure to post it in The Ops Insiders Facebook Group. 

Previous Episodes Mentioned Episode 4: The Core of Business: Your Mission, Vision and Values Stay Connected:

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app. 

Join the Ops Insiders Facebook Community:

[convertkit form=5271754]

 

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/32.

As an operations expert I'm hired to help businesses grow their teams. I do this by asking the right questions that help define the role they are hiring for. This is an important marketing piece of your business that requires strategy.

To scale your business with the right people, you'll need to spend some time articulating and defining exactly what you need. If you do this right, you'll find a higher quality match, a more symbiotic relationship, and experience less turnover. Today, I'll help you define exactly what you need for your next hire by answering these 10 questions that will help you write a better job description.

10 Questions to Ask Before Writing a Job Description

1. What is Your Budget?

What type of profit margin do you have in your business, and what can you afford to reinvest into talent? Make sure you are practical about what you can afford, because you still need to turn a profit.

Start with your budget so you can dictate title and pay rate. If you don't put a price tag on the position, you run into emotional hiring and attaching value to higher priced talent that you may not be able to afford.

"You are stealing from your family if you over-invest."

2. How Many Hours Do You Need This Person?

If you are currently performing this role, use this time and task tracker to gauge how long tasks take you to complete. Use a multiplier of 1.5 to quantify how long it will take a new hire to do the same work. This will help you with budgeting and will also help you clarify the amount of hours your new hire can expect to work for you. Creating this standard will help you create a great relationship with your new hire.

"It's ethical to create boundaries for yourself, but also for the person who will be joining you."

3. What is the Culture of Your Business?

Your job description message needs to be clear so the applicants can understand your culture, along with your vision, mission and values.

"The most functional teams share a vision & values."

Talk to your current contractors and ask them what the best thing about working with you is. Infuse your personality into the job description, and use the verbiage that you use on a day to day basis. Are you fun? Snarky? Lighthearted? Let that shine through when you write the job description.

4. What is the Leader Like?

Describe the leader who your hire will be reporting to. If that's you, what are your personal values? Are you hands on or hands off? An introvert or an extrovert? Use personality assessments, or have others you work with find some way to define you as a leader and include it in the job description.

5. What is the Main Objective of the Role?

If you only had one priority for your new hire, what would it be? When someone knows the main objective of their role, they are able to self assess. The leader will be assessing based on the same objective, so this provides a framework for both parties.

6. What are Your Pet Peeves?

What really gets under your skin? What frustrates you about other people? You may be tempted to say that you are "pretty easygoing," but dig deep and think about a time when something didn't go right in your business. Where did the breakdown occur?

Figure out your pet peeves, identify the opposite of that behavior, and then weave it into your job description.

7. What are the Requirements of the Job?

When writing the job description, you need to be comprehensive but also prioritize what is most important. Include both "required" skills, and "preferred" skills. This way, you will repel people who don't have the primary requirements, and adding preferred skills will allow you to rank candidates as they come in.

8. What Kind of Outcomes Will This Role Provide Your Company?

Let your new hire know what they will be responsible for. This sets the tone for the relationship, and lets them know that you will be engaged in their performance.

"They will perform greater for you if they have direction on what the expectations are."

Decide how you will measure the outcomes of the role, and make sure it fits into your team.

9. Where Will You Post the Job Description?

There are so many options to find help, so you need to be strategic about where you post your job description. Once you know what role you're hiring for, you need to go to the places that have reputable training programs for those skills.

10. What Type of Personality Test Can You Ask For?

Is there a personality or conative test you can ask applicants to take? The KolbeA Index, Myers Briggs, and the DISC are all personality tests that can help you get more in-depth information about the characteristics of your applicants. Don't let the test be a disqualifier, but use it to see who will align best with you as a person, and with your business.

Need Help With Hiring?

I hope I've helped you gain clarity when writing your next job description! If hiring is something that is on the horizon for you, but still seems daunting, I have created an entire course called Hiring Simplified that is dedicated to hiring.

I also work with business owners to find their next great hire. If you want someone to take the hiring work off your hands, click here to learn more!

Weekly Ops Activity

What is your next hire going to be and what is the main objective of the role?

Join us in the free Facebook group and post your answers to join the conversation!

Previous Episodes Mentioned

Episode 30: How To Break the Bad Habits of Hiring

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/31.