Employee Growth Potential is Key for New Hires

A study by the Society for Human Resources Management found that 47 percent of participants considered opportunities for employee growth of major importance when choosing a company to work for. Millennials and individuals in Generation X were particularly likely to consider this when searching for a new job. As a small business owner, you are looking to hire people that offer longevity, such as employees who you can train in an entry level and who will make their way through the company to a higher position. Here are some tips for talking with interviewees about potential growth:

Discuss Their Goals
Not every typical career move is the right one for each individual. Writers, for example, often consider upward mobility to be moving to an editing position. But this is not necessarily the road that all writers want to take. (Don't start ordering custom business cards announcing someone's position change until you've thoroughly discussed what is expected with the employee.) While doing an interview with a potential new hire, talk with the person to see what he or she hopes to do as his or her career progresses. Perhaps prospective employees are interviewing for a position in marketing but would like to move to management in the next few years. Decide if their goals align with your hopes for the job you are looking to fill. Even if they are not a perfect match, you may find that company growth allows you to help them follow the goal they hope for within the next few years. 

Know the Positions
One question that applicants commonly ask in job interviews is where they could move up to in terms of a position, salary and tenure. You should be prepared to answer with any opportunities for advancement, from moving up from an assistant position to being an executive assistant, or other options on how a person could move up from an entry-level job to one that is considered to be mid-level or higher. When employees have these opportunities clearly mapped out, they know what to work for and will likely strive for that position by doing their job well. The workers benefit from knowing they can earn a better salary and have a higher position, while the company gains people who do their jobs well and are looking to advance.

Decide on Internal Promotions
Deciding where to promote people is tricky part of managing your own company is deciding where to promote people from within and when it's necessary to outsource positions. You may find that the natural progression for a certain position at your business is not a good fit for the employee currently residing in that spot. When this happens, it is OK to look outside of the company for someone who is more suited for the job. It can cause some internal rifts in personnel who thought they were up for a promotion but then find someone new is being hired, so be sure to establish a way to discuss this with the individual who will not be moving up. Explain why you are choosing to look elsewhere for the position, and possibly provide things they can improve on in order to be up for the job the next time it opens up.