Hiring Mistakes Made by Employers

There is a lot of pressure on general managers come draft day and free agency. One of the big differences between lackluster franchises and the ones that win championships and forge dynasties is their ability to acquire the right free agents and draft well. Building a great team starts at the top and bringing in the talent you need to succeed.

In that same vein, when you are a hiring manager, the stakes are high with every personnel move you make. The same way general managers can draft busts and set their team back years, so too can hiring managers make mistakes in the hiring process that can leave their team with a personnel mess.

Here are a few common mistakes employers make, and how to avoid them.

Nix the “Ninja”

There is a trend nowadays to create “job titles” that sound less like actual positions and more like Halloween costume ideas. “Ninja,” “Superhero,” “Rockstar”—the groan-inducing list goes on. These titles can sound forced, faux-quirky, pandering, and condescending—because that’s exactly what they are. They not only treat the people you’re hiring like they’re children who can’t handle a proper job title, but it denies them the career prospects opened up by having an actual job title on their resumé instead of one of these jokes.

Applicants know that, which is why many avoid jobs with these pandering unhelpful titles. Listing your job with one of these, thus, undercuts your company’s ability to recruit the best talent and demeans the very people you’re looking to hire.

Goodbye to Ghosting

It’s true in dating, and it’s true in hiring—ghosting hurts. Nevertheless, while there are understandable reasons to ghost in the former, simply never getting back to rejected applicants can start to spread a bad reputation about your company. Besides, it’s hurtful. Rejections are never easy, but a “Thank you for your interest…” letter is better than nothing.

Be Realistic

Nobody’s perfect. As such, if you’re waiting to fill a role until a 100% perfect candidate rolls around, you may as well say you’re waiting for an M. Godot to apply.

With these factors in mind, your hiring managers will be able to avoid common pitfalls and start building the kind of championship company you need.

Keys to Entrepreneurial Success

Nothing attracts people quite like the prospect of success. From Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics to Confucius’ philosophical system, excellence and success has for millennia been posited as one of the foundations of a great society. Today, we take that basic reverence for success in society and apply it to the world of business. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, success is the name of the game.

Of course, success is easier said than done. Countless entrepreneurial figures aspire to the top, but only a select few ever even glimpse the summit. Let’s take a look at some of the tips and tricks you’ll want to heed to have a chance at getting there.

Know What You’re Getting Into

Who wouldn’t choose to be their own boss if they could? A big part of the allure of being an entrepreneur is the idea of having freedom and control in your work day. However, the idea of the free-spirited playboy entrepreneur is largely fiction. Being an entrepreneur means long hours, board meetings, and lots of expectations. It can be hugely inspiring, invigorating, and yes, even a little bit liberating—but only if you know what you’re getting into from the start.

Bigger Than Yourself

That being said, you have to recognize that this enterprise is bigger than you. It’s bigger than any one person. It’s a big idea and will take commitment and comradeship from everyone involved. Having an understanding about that from the start between yourself and your team is key to ensuring success for you all.

Give the People What They Want (or Not)

The old standby in the news industry is to “give the people what they want.” Whether or not that’s a good news ethos, it’s definitely a double-edged sword for entrepreneurs. On the one hand, you always want to respond to market demands. On the other hand, sometimes people don’t know what they want until they see it in your product.

Armed with these keys to entrepreneurial success, you’ll be able to mold your company’s approach appropriately.

How to Utilize Trends for Small Businesses

Few things hold a more prominent place in the American imagination than small businesses. Even with behemoth international mega-corporations such as Disney and Microsoft ruling the roost, we like to think that small businesses are the symbol of the American economy. There is a certain magic around the idea that the little business you and your family begin today can grow into one of those mega-corporations some day.

That being said, it can be hard to be a small business today. As many as a third of all restaurants and new businesses fail within the first year. There’s always the existential threat of being beaten out by one of those mega-corporations. Even if you build your business up over the first few years into something sustainable, there’s still the risk of hitting a wall and having to sell it off to those major competitors. As a small business, you need every bit of help you can get, and that means figuring out how to make trends work to your advantage.

Appearance Is Everything

You can’t become a successful company if you don’t look the part. Make sure that your company is imbued with an aura of professionalism and chic stylishness wherever possible. You want clients and employees alike to think that your company is a great place to work for.

Networking Is Key

In business, it’s all about who you know. We’re all busy, but finding the time to network and build relationships within your industry is key.

Read, Read, Read

How will you know what trends to capitalize on if you don’t know what’s trending in the first place? Tracking and reacting to marketplace trends is crucial for transforming a small company into a force to be reckoned with. From social media to industry papers to the financial news and beyond, always make sure you’re up on the latest trends and events in your field.

Have a Filter

No one can shoulder the whole workload of their company day in and day out. Know what trends and ideas need to be acted upon now, and which can be filtered out to be acted upon later or cast aside.

With these tips, you’ll be on the right track for riding these trends to success.

Tips for Young Aspiring Entrepreneurs

To say that the world of business has been seeing some changing of the guard of late is an understatement. The past couple of decades has seen a tech book, unlike anything else in modern history. One of the distinguishing features of the online revolution led by platforms and apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Uber, and Google is the fact that the CEOs and driving forces behind these giants are all young.

More than ever, our most brilliant aspiring entrepreneurs are some of our youngest businesspeople. Entrepreneurs in their 20s and 30s are changing the game. If you’re a budding entrepreneur looking to follow in the footsteps of Mark Zuckerberg and the guys behind YouTube, you’ll want to follow these tips.

There’s No Such Thing as Too Young

One thing to keep in mind is that it’s never too early to get started. As stated, many of our leading entrepreneurs today are in their 20s and 30s. 

Play to Your Strengths

This is true for all entrepreneurs, and it’s especially true for young entrants. When you are young, it can be understandably hard to market yourself based on an extensive resumé. Instead, you’ll want to promote tangible in-demand skills. Being able to speak another language, having technical, computer, or app-creating skills, or other strengths which you can use to set yourself apart and build your career.

Seek Expert Help

Don’t be overly proud and assume you know and can do everything by yourself. Even the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world can’t do it alone. That’s why it is vital that you get expert help on board to shore up any weaknesses or blind spots you may have. 

Embody Values

If you have worked for a boss you didn’t care for before, you’ll want to avoid making their mistakes. Be sure to preach what you teach and follow through on acting upon and embodying the values you want to see present among the workforce in your company.

With these tips, you’ll be a few steps closer to being able to put your entrepreneurial plans into action.