How to Grow Your Business

When pulling together your team, you want to make sure you have the best people for the job. Look at an overlap of skills fit, character fit and culture fit, Ms. de Leon suggested. “Having the right skills is only part of finding the right person for your team. They need to be able to fit into the culture you’re creating at your company.”

Test new hires before bringing them on your team. If you’re looking for a detail-oriented person, give them a detailed task. If you’re looking for someone who works well under pressure, give them a task with a tight deadline. You can also suggest a trial run of 30 to 90 days to make sure both you and the potential new hire are happy.

As for finding people, go beyond job boards and tap your network. “Some of the best hires I’ve had were from people I knew or from meeting in a community,” Ms. de Leon said. “It’s hard to judge people by their resumes alone.”

When it comes time to interview potential hires, ask open-ended questions and leave enough time for them to talk. Of course, you’ll want to ask the obvious, general questions about past experience and greatest challenges. When you craft questions that are specific to the role and to your business, however, consider those three aforementioned traits: company culture, personal character and professional skills.