Helping Lancashire businesses: Ten steps to building your team from the first employee

Building a team from the first employee is an exciting and critical step in growing your business. Not only do you need to ensure you choose the right people with the right skills and experience to fit the prospective roles, you need to ensure you have created the right roles in the first place for your future employees.

Behaviour consultant Godwin Anthony from Ascent Academy delivers comprehensive solutions for all aspects of the hiring process to team-building and ongoing coaching. Here he offers ten helpful steps to building your team from the first employee.

1. Determine your needs: Assess the skills and expertise required to meet your business goals. Consider the roles and responsibilities you need to fill, such as marketing, sales, operations, or customer support.
   
   
2. Define job descriptions: Create clear job descriptions outlining the responsibilities, qualifications, and desired experience for each role. Be specific about the skills and attributes you're looking for in candidates.
   
   
3. Recruitment and hiring: Advertise the job openings through various channels like job boards, social media, or professional networks. Screen resumes, conduct interviews, and evaluate candidates based on their qualifications and cultural fit. Look for candidates who share your vision and values. We use DISC psychometric profiles that will help you to make your decisions easy.
   
   
4. Onboarding and training: Once you've hired your first employee, ensure a smooth onboarding process. Familiarise them with your company's culture, policies, and procedures. Provide any necessary training and resources to help them succeed in their role.
   
   
5. Set clear expectations: Clearly communicate your expectations for performance, goals, and deadlines. Provide regular feedback and establish channels for open communication. Encourage a collaborative and supportive work environment.
   
   
6. Foster a positive culture: Create a positive work environment that fosters collaboration, innovation, and teamwork. Encourage open communication, recognise and reward employees' efforts, and promote work-life balance. 
   
   
7. Delegate and empower: As your team grows, delegate tasks and empower employees to take ownership of their work. Encourage them to contribute ideas, make decisions, and take initiative. Trust and empower your team members to excel in their respective roles.
   
   
8. Continuous learning and development: Encourage ongoing learning and professional development opportunities for your team. This could include training programs, conferences, workshops, or online courses. Invest in their growth to enhance their skills and keep up with industry trends.
   
   
9. Regular performance evaluations: Conduct regular performance evaluations to assess individual and team performance. Provide constructive feedback and recognise achievements. Address any performance issues promptly and provide support or additional resources when needed.
   
   
10. Team building and morale: Organise team-building activities and events to foster relationships and boost morale. Encourage a supportive and inclusive culture where team members can collaborate, share ideas, and learn from one another. Remember, building a strong and cohesive team takes time and effort. Be patient, adaptable, and open to feedback. As you expand your team, continuously refine your hiring process and adapt your organisational structure to meet the evolving needs of your growing business.

About the contributor

Godwin Anthony is a behaviour consultant with a strong track record spanning two decades in the fields of recruitment and leadership development. His expertise lies in fostering high-performance cultures, cultivating winning teams, and providing top-notch coaching and mentoring. Godwin's mission is centred around empowering individuals and businesses to enhance retention and rediscover their passion for their initial goals.

He achieves this by integrating coaching, training, and consulting while leveraging cutting-edge diagnostic tools like NLP, hypnotherapy, and DISC psychometric assessments, which are widely recognised and validated. He received Boost support in 2022 to seek help for his own business to improve performance in a range of areas including marketing and finance.

Ascent Academy is a member of Boost & Co, which includes additional public and private sector organisations that can help businesses grow.

Boost is helping Lancashire businesses. We have a range of funded support programmes and a team of business advisers you can talk to. To speak to someone from the Growth Hub about business support, contact Boost online or call 0800 488 0057.