Finding your dream contributors
In this episode, Rachel speaks with Arijana Ilibasic, a former VA with a background in HR who now helps business owners. The discussion begins with the subject of HR and why so many entrepreneurs seem to have an aversion to the notion of HR. Arijana suggests it’s because for many business owners HR is a reminder of past experiences in the corporate world. The conversation then shifts to the topic of finding your dream contributors, specifically the importance of a creating an employee avatar and using personality assessments to find the type of team member you need to ensure that your business succeeds. Arijana recommends starting with an organizational chart and from there envisioning the different roles your business will require, and to be as specific as possible with the different functions each employee will perform. For Arijana, these details should include not only the professional attributes–such as experience–of these contributor avatars but also the personal ones, such as how far away they live.
Creating these avatars, according to Arijana, will help business owners hire more consciously, rather than impulsively. She also stresses that it’s important to not expect your avatar’s personality to be identical to yours; being different will make you complement each other. Host and guest also discuss the importance of clarity and transparency when creating job ads. Arijana recommends including the good, bad, and ugly to avoid wasting time for you and the applicant. Another piece of advice Arijana offers is to remain unbiased: Liking a potential hiree does not automatically mean they will fit the role. Ultimately, it’s about knowing what your company needs both short and long-term when seeking employees.
