Business advisor Jason Holland had some good advice the other day on how entrepreneurs should go about finding, and then testing, potentially "superstar" employees.
Good employees can make or break a business effort, especially if its a small business just getting off the ground. So what should you do? Here's Jason's advice:
One way to pick out a fledgling superstar from a pool of mediocre employees is to offer him an internship. Experts often advocate internships as a kind of trial period where you can learn about each other.
To see exactly what a superstar can do, you need to give him "real" work that will let his skills shine. That's how Joel Spolsky, CEO of Fog Creek Software, sorts out potential superstars from run-of-the mill job applicants.
As I have said before, Spolsky has some mistaken notions about recruiting - but when it comes to hiring, he does some things right. Interns at Fog Creek aren't relegated to making coffee or doing busy work. Like full-time employees, they are expected to contribute to important projects, including the software applications the company sells. With this trial-by-fire approach, Spolsky gets a good idea of his interns' work ethics and skills, and is able to figure out which ones will get coveted post-graduation job offers.
Give your interns responsibility and step back to see what they do with it.
With your guidance, true superstars will eventually exceed your expectations. They'll take your vision to the next level. Your business will grow with minimal input from you, and before long you'll be putting in just a couple of hours of "work" a week while making more money than ever.
Good advice for hiring employees!
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