1. MSP Hiring: Recruit, don’t absorb.
When we’re talking about five keys to building and hiring your “A Team” in your MSP Business, that includes doing things like creating a good culture. It also means constantly recruiting. I can’t stress this enough… You want to recruit and not absorb! The difference in absorbing, is that when you are desperate to hire somebody because someone quits, or you get a big project and you’re so desperate that you hire anybody. Because desperate and stupid are cousins and they hang out together getting in all kinds of trouble.
2. You want to make sure you’re constantly recruiting.
You need to be running ads for engineers, salespeople, managers, and marketing people too. You don’t have to hire them all, but you want to make sure you have a pipeline of people that you will be able to pull from in the event an engineer leaves or someone that has been really key to your business decides to leave your organization. You can’t wait until that happens before you start recruiting.
When someone quits, they give you two weeks’ notice and then what are you going to do? Run an ad and hope to get somebody in two weeks? Forget about it. At that point you’re screwed. And that’s when you start ABSORBING because you just take anybody that will show up. You do not want to be in this position.
Why it’s important to always be running ads for jobs to fill.
It’s important to always be running ads for jobs to fill, because even when you aren’t necessarily hiring, you can have your pipeline filled. And that way also, if you ever have to replace someone, they won’t be surprised when all of a sudden you’re running ads for their position.
Employee asks, “Why are you running an ad for my current job?”
Your response, “…”
Right. It’s like they know that you’re looking. So if you’re always running ads, if you’re always recruiting, that means you’re always going to be looking for talent. Good people do not come around often. They’re out there, they’re available, but they don’t come around very often.
If you find someone good, hire their ass and get them in your organization because it’s going to make your life easier, even if it hurts cash flow for a little bit because good people will elevate the productivity and the profitability of your organization. Building more strength, and building more stability for your MSP business.
Yet I still see smaller MSPs not recruiting anybody. They have no ads running, and they’re not looking for talent…ever. Why not? They say “Well, I can’t afford to hire anybody.” That’s not the point. The point is, you’ve got to be able have that pipeline of potential out there to be looking in. That will allow you to focus on marketing, building, and bringing a team in that can get the work done. That way you can be the entrepreneur and the leader you are destined to be.
3. You need to have clear and detailed scorecards.
Another great way to be a great leader, is to have clear and detailed scorecards. A scorecard is a performance metric that businesses use that outlines job duties, performance and goals. You want to ensure each employee in your company has one.
4. Have systems and processes for all key functions that are repeated.
In our sales department, we have a group of seven or eight staffers who are dialing for appointments. And they’re very, very good. The reality is that’s another position that churns a lot.
This is particularly important for lower-level, higher-turnover positions. So one of the things I really worked very hard on was dialing in that position. When we hire somebody, we can get them up to speed and dialing within 30 days, and they are booking appointments on the very first week they’re calling. That’s an example of taking a position and dialing it in with scorecards. That’s what you do with standard operating procedures, and your KPIs so that you can get people to be really productive. (Here’s who you should hire first when building out your sales team.)
5. Hire slow, fire fast.
Hire slow, fire fast. You get what you tolerate. I’m telling you, if you’ve got employees that are bitter, sour and unhappy… It never turns fresh again. Go find motivated people.
More importantly, build a vision and get people excited to come join your vision, and your MSP company. If you’re just hiring people to show up, and get the job done, then you’re going to become very average.
You’re going to get pretty average people to work for you and give your customers pretty average service. That won’t cut it.
