When you initially begin a new business, you try to manage every aspect on your own. Over time the scale of business expands and as a result, it becomes difficult for you to manage entire things on your own. You need to admit that trying to perform every task yourself eventually reduces your business’s productivity. The truth, however, is that you cannot just let it go! So a wise solution that is even appreciated by most of the reputed business owners is to hire a manager.
Hiring a manager might be a luxury for start-ups but it actually pays in the long run. A manager infuses company culture, can enhance your employee’s productivity, and make your office a good working place.
If you are unsure about the perfect time to hire a manager, then here are some signs that indicate when your company needs the support of a manager.
Leadership Qualities to Look For When Hiring a Manager:
You might have heard about the famous saying,
“Employees do not leave organizations but they leave their managers”
This quote truly reveals the reality of the relationship between employees and managers in a few cases. Though this is not true with everyone, but there are cases where this quote perfectly suits the situation.
Having a good manager at work will not only help you grow but will teach you how to enjoy your work. They will not only mentor you but also guide you the right way to improve and succeed. But on the other hand, if you are under a bad manager, you will not only lose interest in your job but will start developing a negative attitude which will get you nowhere in your life.
Also, employers will get to know the effect, bad managers can make to their business. So here are a few qualities that you need to consider when selecting a hiring manager for your organization.
Leadership Qualities to Look for When Hiring a Manager:
- Commitment
- Optimism
- Creativity
- Communication skills
- Focus
- Empathy
- Responsibility
- Confidence
- Honesty
- Decisiveness
Criteria for Hiring a Great Manager:
As per Don Raskin, Senior Partner at MME, advertising and marketing agency, and author of The Dirty Little Secrets of Getting Your Dream Job, “If an employee is given a choice to be a part of the interview team for their next manager, the employee should always say ‘yes’. . . it will allow them to have a say in whom they will be working for, but most importantly, whom they will be learning from once the manager is hired”
Hiring a senior position in an organization is a tough task as the person needs to take up some important responsibilities and should be able to perform the duties laid upon him by the organization efficiently. Wrong decisions, in this case, can not only affect the team but also the organization in a negative way.
So while hiring a manager for an organization there are few criteria which need to be followed. The team which is hiring the manager should be well-versed with it and that helps them take a collective decision.
- Understand the role and responsibilities of the position
- Have a clear idea of what qualities you are looking for
- Ask questions which help them showcase their traits
- Assess their behavioral qualities too
- List out the common questions asked when hiring a manager
- Finally, discuss with your interview panel and take the right decision.
Criteria for Being a Great Manager:
- Will back you up when required
- Leads by example
- Empowers
- Mentors
- Listens and understands
When to Hire a Manager:
1. When you start spending more hours in the office:
At an initial level, you fix a working time till 6’o clock in the evening that gradually increases to one hour more either every week or every month. As a result, you start spending more hours in the office to take care of even minute things. You are solely managing each thing ranging from preparing client’s presentations to checking the list for employees off.
Spending more hours in the office is a clear indication that it is high time you hire a manager. A responsible manager can look after minute details of your office if not major ones and make you stick to working hours that were initially decided by you.
2. When your business is entering a new phase of growth:
There are numerous lagging signs informing you, it is time to hire a manager who can take responsibility for your day-to-day operations. While the ‘perfect time’ may vary from business to business, the one good time to hire a manager is before your business enters a new phase of growth. Hiring an operations manager would ease your business operations and would facilitate your business growth.
3. Your executives are handling administrative tasks:
If you do not have an appropriate person for a particular task then eventually you handover the responsibility to one of your team members. If your business development team is wasting time in coordinating meetings, fixing conference venues, planning happy hours and ordering lunch then undoubtedly it is time to make the hiring of a manager.
A happy team is more successful and even small organizations need a manager who can look after small to major needs of their employees and take dedicated responsibility for all such tasks.
4. When your business growth slows down:
When you are not able to clearly focus on your business and plan appropriate strategic development then it is a big sign to hire a manager. Due to lack of proper resources, lack of time and overburdening, you are not able to focus on targeting new opportunities and build relationships with your clients. You, therefore, need to hire a manager who can free you from focusing on strategic relationships and targeting new business clients.
5. Tasks tend to overlap, resulting in the improper use of resources:
The efficiency of the organization is paramount to any business’s success. This is even true for a start-up that cannot afford to waste a single penny. A dedicated office manager can help to coordinate the tasks across departments and among team members so that available resources are utilized in an optimum manner. More important than this, such a professional can manage all tasks and ensures that tasks don’t overlap.
6. When you are not able to focus on the big picture:
There would be some stances when you would feel trapped in a vicious wheel and you are spending time on tasks that are not going to pay you and nor need your time and skill set. At such stance, it is time to make hiring for a manager who can focus on such things and give you time to focus on the big picture.
7. When you spend more time on fixing things rather than creating:
If you are not able to spend enough time on creating new ideas, strategies, and things for your business success and are only trying to fix things and work it right for your business, then it calls to hire a manager. Your business can succeed and expand only if you work as a builder. So if you are spending more of your time in spending as a fixer, you must hire help to carry less vital works on your behalf.
8. When administrative tasks are bogging you down:
If you are not able to manage administrative tasks like productivity reports, payroll, filling systems and more such tasks then it is the right time to hire an office manager. Such official tasks can be managed by a third person and this way you would have ample time to look over other productive works that need to fix as soon as possible.
9. When you are making more number of mistakes:
When you are out of time, the quality of work and decisions related to work will suffer. It is because you are not able to completely focus on things and hence tend to make a mistake that can even cost your business.
To avoid happening of any such situation and to be sure that your business repo does not suffers, you must hire a manager who can look after things and allow you with more time to focus on essential aspects of your business.
10. When you are confident that someone can do it better:
Probably, you can do a lot of tasks and can perform them relatively well. When things, however, are getting messed up then you need to figure out the best and what someone else could do better.
As the head of the company, you must be serving well in managing, leading, matching the big – picture, targeting new clients and more. You may, therefore, bring on someone who can maintain not just your office decorum but can enhance your business’s day to day operations and other small details related to office employees.
11. When you are repeating tasks:
Another important sign you need to hire a manager or external help is when you are repeating tasks. As the founder of your organization, you must do different things each day, from bringing new partnerships to pitching new clients to securing investments. If you are fixed to a daily same routine like updating quick books, client management, social media posting or more, then you need to hire someone else who can move those tasks off your table.
12. When you are not able to follow the essentials:
If you experience a point in your professional life that your business is managing you and it is not the other way round then you need to hire external help from someone you could delegate the responsibility. The decision can be tough, but as a founder, you must understand that less vital functions need only your supervision and not your precious time. As a head, you must have enough free time to focus on the essentials and fundamentals of the company in order to obtain adequate results.
13. When you feel overburdened:
Most of the entrepreneurs believe that they can manage it all and can do all the things. You must hire and recruit people who you can trust and who are interested to enter into the management roles. It is better to promote a manager from within the team rather than hiring from an external source. This way, you would also gain more chances of success and support and ensure that the culture of your company remains strong.
14. When you are left with no leisure time:
Even as a manager you must have enough time to relax and enjoy. Don’t let the high – volume of the company’s demands haul over your special time for relaxation and enjoyment. It is essential to have a certain slack time to do things that keep you mentally healthy and emotionally fit.
15. When you are not able to track each employee’s progress:
If you find that you are not able to track your employees’ performance reports, projects, and tasks on a regular basis, it is time to bring in a new manager. It is essential to keep a track record of each employee’s progress and to give attention, time and feedback to the team with whom you are working. Keeping a periodic check is essential and hiring a manager is a way to find enough time for conducting such exercises.
16. If you are experiencing uneven distribution of time:
When a major part of your day is spent on managing each department, then you need to hire a manager who can oversee your employees. Once your company has expanded its scale of operations, there are a lot more things to manage rather than just your employees, such as legal matters and expenses. A manager can be an asset to your organization as he could give you direct guidance regarding your office even when you are not there.
17. Your management team seems disturbed:
When you are not able to focus well then definitely you would be missing deadlines, budgets would be going over and you would find that your staff is not doing as much as expected from them. As a leader, you must look after each and every aspect going on in your company.
So if you think that your management team is disturbed or disorganized then you must find the help of a manager who can look after your team and ensure that your company experiences hassle-free work atmosphere.
18. You are in a position to afford one:
Definitely, you would be giving a fixed stipend to the manager and since such a person would be more responsible so there are chances that you have to offer him a decent amount of salary.
So before you make the final decision of hiring a manager for your office, you must be sure that you are in the correct position to afford one. As soon as you are comfortable with hiring a manager, you would be able to manage things pretty well and would be able to grow your business in a way that is otherwise not possible.
19. When you are stuck to fixed revenue:
If your business is in a situation of fixed revenue and you are not able to deliver much time to increase it, then usually there is just one thing that can help you out and that is hiring a manager.
A manager can perform day-to-day operations and can even carry vital meetings on your behalf, especially when you are not in town or available at the office. This would lead to less loss of quality clients and hence can help you increase your business revenue to a higher level.
20. If you are experiencing an increased frustration level:
Ultimately, a common problem among business owners is the increased level of frustration, mainly because of not being able to manage things properly. At one point in time, business owners are not able to devote enough time to core areas of their business that leads to the development of frustration within them.
So if you too feel that someone is always on your head and think that you need someone to manage your team, then you must hire a manager. A manager would be responsible for delivering answers to their questions and take the essential steps required to complete their projects on time.
So just list out things that you do it yourself and that is pending and needs to be focused. For major aspects of your business that needs core attention, you need to spend time while for other minor activities related to your office, the best way to manage them is hire a mature, responsible and skillful manager who can manage those tasks on your behalf.
