Why Spend a Month on Hiring Staff?

As a small business owner an improved economy is generally considered only in positive terms. People spend money more readily and your sales are likely to grow. However, there is a challenge that comes with a better economy. Other businesses are also growing and expanding, creating a competition for high performing staff. When candidates have many job opportunities to choose from your goal of hiring great staff gets even harder.

Robin and I operated pet centers during the boom years of the early 2000’s and realize the challenges many of you are now facing. We also know that the safety of the dogs depend on the knowledge and consistent performance of the staff you have leading the playgroups. This is a message we are sharing with dog owners, so it is important to us to help you find and hire high performing staff members.

My hiring process at Urban Tails evolved as the job market changed and we tried new tools. Staff management is one of my strengths, but as it’s been a couple of years since I’ve been a hiring manager I decided to spend the summer reading and researching current practices.

I found a common thread in building high performing teams that is a little eye opening.

High-performers at all levels are self-motivated based on a shared passion for the mission of their employer.

So in pet care they need to understand how their role in the business impacts the lives of pets and their families. External motivators like recognition programs, bonuses and commissions may work, but only for the short-term.

This means you need to be clear on the mission and values of your business. You also need to communicate this to candidates during the hiring process. Based on this core principle our research efforts focused on how you can identify and hire staff members that align with your business mission.