From a young age, many of us are taught that self-sufficiency is the key to success. In business, it can be tempting to try to tackle every task internally. But that tactic can lead to severe burn-out, less productivity, and more money spent. For some tasks, it is fiscally sound to outsource them to another professional.
So what does an ‘outsourced team member’ mean? In your financial business sphere, an outsourced team member could be a paraplanner– someone who helps you build and design a financial plan– a virtual assistant to aid in scheduling, a writer, or a marketer to help with building strong content for your business.
Once you decide to outsource a task, how do you bring that professional to your team?
Drop Your Anchor
You want your job advertisement to best reflect your company and the candidate you wish to hire. Below are some pointers for laying the groundwork to find the perfect candidate.
#1: Establish your expectations for the position
Prepare an outline for the job and the goals you expect to be achieved. Clearly state the parameters of the position. For example, is the work ongoing or for a fixed amount of time? Do you need a certain number of hours a month as you get going, and expect to ramp up in the near future?
#2: Field for the best candidate
State your company culture and mission. You’ll be able to establish a benchmark for the type of person/company you’re looking for. This is important whether you’re looking for a full time team member, or an outsourced contractor role like a paraplanner or a virtual assistant.
#3: Write a policy overview
Write out the important company processes, standard workflow procedures, and common templates used. Letting your candidates know how you typically do things ahead of time can help them figure out whether or not they’ll be a good fit, or if they’ll enjoy the work you need finished!
Shop around a bit, and interview multiple qualified candidates. Even though the first person you meet might end up being the ideal fit for you and your growing team, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep looking a little bit! It doesn’t hurt to talk to a handful of people who each bring a different skill set to the table.
Through the interview process you’ll earn more about each candidate’s skills, but also how their unique skills can help you grow your business. In interviewing, you’ll also be able to better understand what skills are most important for a candidate to have for them to be a good fit for you and any other members you already have on your team both for this role and future hires. If you find that what you’re looking for is shifting as you interview different candidates, that’s okay! Just make sure you update your job posting, and different processes within your business to reflect your changing needs.
Set Sail
So, you’ve found the perfect candidate. Congrats! That’s fantastic!
In a perfect world, the hiring process would stop now. You found the right person, all is well, and your practice is going to grow and thrive as a result.
Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. You’ve got to move your new hire through an onboarding process that brings them up to speed on your expectations, how your processes work, and what responsibilities they’ll be expected to do.
Communication between you and the person you end up hiring is crucial for a smooth and successful onboarding process. If the company or contractor that you hired has a set onboarding process, it can be more efficient to use the one they have. But if they don’t, it’s up to you to develop your own.
Looking to build that onboarding process? Below are some tips for items you must include:
#1: Confidentiality agreements
These are necessary to keep your data secure and protect yourself against any future liabilities.
#2: Access to necessary accounts
Your new team member should have access to all of the company accounts they would need to complete their tasks.
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- Wealthbox or Redtail CRMs
- Dropbox accounts
- Separate company email account
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Open Water
After you have checked all of the boxes in your procedural calendar, it is time to let the contractor work their magic. It is important to conduct regular meetings and check-ins with the contractor so that you can see how the project is coming and talk about any complications and best strategies for moving forward.
Treat your outsourced employees as part of your team. Creating an open environment will help cultivate good and long-lasting relationships with your contractors. Communication is the key, and one that will preserve the longevity of your working relationships with your contract employees now and in the future.