Hiring for a growing business? You need a cunning (recruitment) plan

Hiring for a growing business is a li'l different from bringing new faces into a company that's chugging along nicely.

The stakes are high - awesome staff don't come cheap, and too much faffing could put you right back where you started in terms of business development.

So, wrap your head around our top hiring tips for a growing business, then get out there and shake up your market for good!

Hiring for a growing business - top tips to get you started!

1. Save your pocket money

Chances are your customer list is bulging, but margins might well be tighter than you’d like.

Way back when, small and growing businesses would hedge their bets, bring in a new staff member and wait for them to churn out more than enough revenue to cover their salary.

Times have changed, and you now need to be totally certain the time is right to bring new folks on board.

After all, your business might not blossom quite as you'd expect, and that mahoosive client could always wave "bye bye" because of stuff that's totally beyond your control.

You need to get cosy with your accountant and figure out whether you can stump up the cash to cover their salary based on your current cash flow - even in a worst-case scenario. If it's a no, or looks a little risky, keep on saving and reconsider six months down the line.

2. Employee pick and mix

So, you're pretty zen about your cash flow. But, have you thought about your workplace blend and the types of folks who'll fit like a glove?

Run through the skills you have, the skills you need, and the type of people who already work for you. This'll help you figure out who to hire.

Even if you're hiring for a role that already exists, you need to be on the lookout for people and skills that'll add something to your business, not just follow what's been done before.

Look for folks who'll not only knock it out the park with their day-to-day duties, but also have skills that let them pitch in on other bits and bobs when you need them.

And remember, no one likes an old boys' club. Take special care to check that all demographics are equally represented as you grow.

3. Keeping things sweet

So, you've found your winning team. Now, you just need to get them firing on all cylinders without causing too many unwanted waves.

Set aside plenty of time (and capital) to allow them to bed in - have targets in mind, but always leave a bit of wiggle-room to avoid a panic.

Some mentoring or formal training will let you kill two birds with one stone. Learning from your current pros will get the newbies up to speed with the role and your business practices quicker.

It'll also help them brush up on your company culture, and give your old timers some ownership over company growth.

There you have it - one big(ger) happy family! Who said hiring for a growing business had to be a headache!?