Gambling on new talent…and beating the odds.

Hiring the right people is one of the most important things a small business owner does… and let’s be honest, it’s a crap shoot, for both parties. It is easier to throw a pair of dice and get a 6 or 8 the hard way (2/3’s or 2/4’s) than to find a Rockstar to join your business.

In the coming weeks, UNIcycle will be releasing a series of recruiting blogs to share our best practices and have real talk about real business. No fairy tales here, just a realistic view of what we can control and what we cannot in the recruiting process.

But to kick us off, I would like to talk about a success story we have had here at UNIcycle.

As a solopreneur, I knew I had hit my ceiling. Or at least the ceiling of what I wanted to do. The business had grown and it was running me, rather than the other way around. But I was still not working too often on nights and weekends. A bit, but not much, and one of my goals for the business was to NOT work myself to death while building my dream.

At a networking event, I once heard a woman say, “If you aren’t working 60 hours a week are you even an entrepreneur?”

That was a clarifying moment for me, would I consider working 60 hours a week to serve my clients? Absolutely!

Should that practice be foundational to being successful? Absolutely not!

So, in the fall of 2022, I started looking for my 1st full-time employee. This person would not only assist me, but they would eventually conduct revenue-driving activities. Be the face of my business, impact my bottom line, have some access to my money, and impact my reputation…..

(Cue anxiety-driven music here… the iconic music from Psycho, Bernard Herrmann 1960)

OK let’s take a breath, calm down, things are going to be fine.

A lot was riding on this decision; I am supposed to be good at this. People pay me to be good at this. I have to get this right.

But in reality, bringing anyone into your business is a gamble, all you can do is decide who you want to gamble on.

Enter Sarah Britton, the newest member of UNIcycle Business Consulting™ (Cue the music: Sarah Smile, Hall and Oates 1975… It’s the theme song her parents gave her.)

I had narrowed my search to 2 final candidates, I also knew I would be happy with either, so I was feeling pretty good about final interviews. Working in HR you expect HR people to have an edge, they should be a good interview, they should know what you are looking for, and they should be intentional about what they are showing you.

Sarah was all that and more. She was cheerful and already productive, she had analyzed the Enneagram test that I asked her to take, and brought printouts, with tabs, notes, and highlighters. (Cue the music… Royal Entrance Fanfare, composer & year unknown -but we all know what it sounds like.)

Sarah is not only warm and funny and a realist, but she also brings 11 years of HR Experience in the food industry with her. Sarah was the HR department for a small chain of 24/7/365 bakeries/cafes. Talk about trial by fire, you have staff baking at night, and staff serving all day, literally all day. Which means you have customers all the time. Working in the food industry teaches you agility, work ethic, team-work, productivity, and a “just juggle and handle it” mindset. Sarah had it all. Has it all, because (thank you sweet baby Jesus) she accepted my offer.

As I said, hiring new people is a gamble, decide who you want to gamble on, and hire them.

And please, recognize that they are gambling on you too. You, as their employer, are responsible for their financial livelihood. Will they be able to pay their bills? Can they depend on you to make good decisions, deposit their paycheck on time, train them well, and hire good people to work beside them?

The odds of you both being right are steep and complicated.

(Cue the music: Mission Impossible Theme, Lalo Schifrin 1967)

You are on a journey together, there will be falls, mistakes, problems to overcome, wins, and sheer joy if you do the right things at the right time.

But I am glad to say, I am good at this.

And I do own a portion of her success here, however, it really belongs to her. Sarah came to UNIcycle with a long list of things you cannot teach. She is intentional in her actions, she wants to serve, she is smart and capable, and a problem solver. She understands when to listen and when to talk. Her soft skills are strong, and her knowledge of good leadership practices shows in her work. She can juggle several things at a time, and I do not own any of that. It’s like drawing a royal flush, this specific combination of innate skills. The odds of drawing a royal flush are 649,739:1.

I cannot lose.

And I am grateful for Sarah Britton every - single - day. I am all in.

(Cue the music: What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong 1967)