This post is sponsored by ZipRecruiter.
Photo by Marcus Aurelius from Pexels
You’ve set out to write a job description only to watch your cursor blink for ten minutes.
You’re in the position to hire an employee.
Whether you’re hiring your first employee for your side hustle turned successful business or you’re making your first hire as a new manager, we’ve got you covered. In fact, we partnered with the hiring experts at ZipRecruiter to help you find the most qualified candidates—and fast.
Here’s the thing.
Writing job posts can be boring, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, the more you can infuse your values and the values of your company in your job post, the more quality candidates you’ll attract.
Instead of writing a job description that will attract every job searcher from the four corners of the universe, we’ll focus on attracting the right candidates for you—the exact piece of the puzzle you’re missing.
How to Write Job Descriptions to Attract the Best Employees
According to a study by Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), hiring an employee costs an average of $4,000.
How? It’s a combination of recruitment efforts, cost of job postings, background checks, interviewing time spend, and onboarding.
When you’re setting out to hire, you’ll want to make sure you’re investing in someone who fits. Set out to find someone who, in Love Island speak, “ticks all the boxes” but who also is ready to learn and grow within your organization.
So, let’s get into it.
1. Identify Top Skills Needed
When searching for the “perfect employee,” the first step is to ditch whatever you might think they look like.
Yes, there will be non-negotiable skill sets, experience needed, and nice-to-haves that you’ll want to include in your job description.
However, know this. By placing more hard skills and time-based experience in your job description, you are cutting off potential employees who fear that they might not “tick all of your boxes.”
Our advice? Make sure you’re including the most essential skills. You could even separate your skills and responsibilities sections to include “Skills Needed” and “Nice-to-Have Skills.”
In fact, soft skills or human skills are increasingly important in the modern workplace. According to eSkill, the top three skills employers look for in dedicated employees are all of the “soft” variety:
- Communication
- Decision-Making
- Flexibility
Of course, hard skills are necessary, too. No matter how communicative an employee might be, they’re not going to make a great graphic designer if they don’t know how to use Adobe, right?
When hiring an employee, browse similar job postings. Jot down what you need in an employee.
Now, cross out a few items. Recreate your list of pertinent skills until it seems accessible to the right employee. You might find that some of your nice-to-have skills are easily mastered by a candidate with a willingness to learn and grow in the role.
2. Write a Job Description That Matches Your Brand Voice
Have you ever read a job description that really excited you? When that happens as an applicant, you don’t even see the dreaded blinking cursor on your desktop.
You’re too busy typing a cover letter that echoes the exciting tone—one that colors a picture of exactly how perfect you would be in this role.
As an employer, find that same energy and infuse it into the job description you’re writing. Think of what would excite you, what you’re working towards, and how the day-to-day job could look for your new employee.
We often give advice to jobseekers to use action verbs and descriptive language to paint a picture of themselves in a certain role.
When you’re the hiring manager or recruiter, you have the power to excite candidates from the entry point, the job post.
Here are the elements to focus on when writing a great job description.
Title
Your job description title is your front door. Make it welcoming and exciting. Make sure your candidate sees this door and that they’re compelled to open it.
Instead of naming your job post something like “Assistant to CEO Needed,” try “Cutting-Edge Technology Company Seeks Organized Assistant.”
Job Description
The job description is the meat. Make sure your potential candidates can see themselves in the role.
If possible, lay out what their day could look like in the role by including a daily or weekly mock schedule.
What Sets You + Your Company Apart
Finally, what sets your company apart?
Yes, perks and tokens of employee appreciation are great to showcase in your job post, but make sure they really echo your organization’s goals and mission.
For more on writing the job description, check out this video with the best tips on crafting a sticky job post for the best prospective employers.
4. Post Jobs to the Best Job Boards + Your Social Channels
Last, but certainly not least, get the word out!
A job post that sits in a draft folder is just that. According to Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), these are some of the most commonly used tools to attract candidates.
- Post on your company website so that those who already know and love you are aware of a job opening.
- Post to the biggest job boards like ZipRecruiter and Indeed to find your most active job-searchers.
- Share your listing on your social network, with your alumni group, at job fairs, and with your general network.
- Spread your job post far and wide.
Finally, Your Customizable Job Description Template
This is the bread and butter of this post.
As we go through certain job titles, you’ll use this template and simply fill in the key elements for your open role.
Job Post Title:
[Create a title that names the POSITION, includes an EXCITING PROSPECT, and, if you’d like, names your INDUSTRY.]
*Keep it between 50-60 characters
Introduction:
[Insert an EXCITING FIRST LINE that captures the attention of your ideal candidate.]
[Describe your COMPANY, a UNIQUE DETAIL that sets you apart from others, WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED, and a future-based VISION.]
Who We Are:
[2-3 more STATEMENTS about WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU DO, and HOW IT’S DIFFERENT.]
[Your MISSION STATEMENT]
Who You Are:
[2-3 sentences about the type of employee who would EXCEL and LEARN in the role.]
[Create an outline of THE DAY IN A LIFE within the OPEN ROLE.]
Requirements + Responsibilities:
[Lay out ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES. Try to limit to 5-7 KEY RESPONSIBILITIES.]
[Lay out POTENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES (i.e., Annual events, reports, or other incidental responsibilities that could arise).]
[Lay out ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS such as education level, experience, specific skills, licenses, and positive character traits.]
How to Apply:
[Instruct candidate on how to APPLY, DOCUMENTS NEEDED, and any other PERTINENT INFORMATION.]
[Create a title that names the POSITION, includes an EXCITING PROSPECT, and, if you’d like, names your INDUSTRY.]
*Keep it between 50-60 characters
Introduction:
[Insert an EXCITING FIRST LINE that captures the attention of your ideal candidate.]
[Describe your COMPANY, a UNIQUE DETAIL that sets you apart from others, WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED, and a future-based VISION.]
Who We Are:
[2-3 more STATEMENTS about WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU DO, and HOW IT’S DIFFERENT.]
[Your MISSION STATEMENT]
Who You Are:
[2-3 sentences about the type of employee who would EXCEL and LEARN in the role.]
[Create an outline of THE DAY IN A LIFE within the OPEN ROLE.]
Requirements + Responsibilities:
[Lay out ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES. Try to limit to 5-7 KEY RESPONSIBILITIES.]
[Lay out POTENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES (i.e., Annual events, reports, or other incidental responsibilities that could arise).]
[Lay out ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS such as education level, experience, specific skills, licenses, and positive character traits.]
How to Apply:
[Instruct candidate on how to APPLY, DOCUMENTS NEEDED, and any other PERTINENT INFORMATION.]
The Types of Hires You Can Make
Okay, now that you’ve copied and pasted our job description template, let’s get into hiring for specific roles, what you might need from each type of candidate, and how to actually communicate that when writing your job post.
How to Hire Your Very First Employee
It’s very exciting to hire your very first employee.
It’s also so important to do it right. If you talk to any small business owner (seriously, any of them!) you’ll likely gather a collection of early-hire horror stories.
When making your first hire, you’re creating your company culture from scratch. It’s important that this person really upholds your values and beliefs, so make sure your job post emphasizes what really matters.
You need your first hire to be, above all else, trustworthy. This is the person you will entrust with the literal (or figurative) keys to the business.
If that makes you nervous, well good! You might try hiring on a trial basis to begin. Just like you don’t want to hire a “bad” employee, no candidate wants to end up in a job that doesn’t fit. A trial hire basis allows you to see how you work together.
At the end of a trial period, you and your prospective employee will have a double opt-in or opt-out.
In this case, make sure to communicate your temporary hiring in the job description.
Important Note: Communicate upfront that this is a PAID trial basis and the likelihood of it turning into a full-time, salaried, with benefits position.
How to Hire for Remote Jobs
With the workforce becoming increasingly remote or flexible, your talent pool increases. However, hiring remote talent might be scary.
If you’re looking to make your first hire a remote hire, your strategy will change—but just a little bit.
According to FlexJobs, some of the most common work from home jobs include a lot of “first-hire” roles, like accountants, writers, assistants, business development managers, and sales representatives.
While your approach is going to be largely similar, you’ll want to make one big adjustment in hiring for a remote role.
In your experience needed, consider how important it is for your candidate to have remote work experience. Remote work isn’t for everyone. It requires self-discipline, enhanced communication skills, and trustworthiness.
Make sure to include these elements in your job posting—and make sure to communicate that the job is remote in the title and in the body of the job description.
How to Hire a Foreign Employee
Depending on the capacity in which you want to hire, hiring a foreign employee has different obstacles.
Refer to the Department of Labor when looking to hire a foreign employee to work in-office. A foreign employee will likely require an H-1B Visa for eligibility to live and work in the U.S.
If you’re looking to hire a foreign employee or overseas independent contractors for freelance work, your contractor will likely be responsible for their own taxes. Make sure to communicate this in the job listing.
At a minimum, you'll need your contractor to fill out a W-9 tax form for contractors paid more than $600 in the course of a year.
Alternatively, when looking for contract work, you could use a freelance site like Fiverr or Upwork. In this case, the freelancer’s work authorization is handled by the freelance site.
How to Hire for Freelance Jobs
Any small business owner or entrepreneur is aware of the fact that it’s expensive to make a hire. When hiring for a full-time role with salary and benefits, the cost is increased.
For that reason, for better or worse, freelance work is a route many businesses and entrepreneurs use for smaller, one-off projects.
On the other side, many employees living the freelance life enjoy the flexibility to create their own schedules, manage their workloads, and have a lifestyle that is typically unencumbered by the rigors of a five-day workweek.
Some common freelance jobs that small businesses hire for include:
- Freelance writing jobs
- Freelance editing jobs
- Freelance proofreading jobs
- Freelance design jobs
- Freelance transcription jobs
When hiring for a freelance job, especially in a creative role like freelance writing or freelance design, you’ll want to include a request for a portfolio in your job description.
With every type of hire you make, your approach might be a little different. As your team grows, you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t work.
You’ll learn which roles are crucial to have a full-time team member and which positions can be filled with freelancers. Over time, you’ll likely build relationships with freelancers that might blossom into full-time roles.
How to Hire for Your Small Business, Startup + Beyond
We created this list of common roles, with specialized tips in order to hire for each one.
- Lawyer
- Executive Assistant
- Virtual Assistant
- Sales Jobs
- Retail Jobs
- Web Developer / Web Designer
- Software Developer
- Graphic Designer
- Marketing Jobs
- Social Media Manager
- Telemarketer
- Recruiter
- Human Resources Jobs
- Bookkeeper
- Accountant or CPA
- Writing Jobs
- Project Manager Jobs
- Data Analyst Jobs
- Customer Service / Customer Success Jobs
We will also include jump links to the entire list so that readers can navigate to the job description they’d like to see.
Your small business is like your baby—so you don’t want to spare any expenses when hiring someone to help take care of your child.
This list includes some of the most crucial hires you might need to make for a small business—and what to look for when doing so.
How to Hire a Lawyer
Hiring a lawyer is fun, right?
Okay, that’s our one lawyer joke before we jump into this. When starting a small business, you’ll likely need some legal advice at some point—and we hope not too often.
Hiring a small business legal attorney doesn’t have to break your entire budget. The best piece of advice we have is to hire a business lawyer before you need one.
Especially if you’re starting a new business or entering into a business partnership, a lawyer can help you to make sure that you’ve safeguarded yourself and your business against costly and avoidable litigation.
This guide on hiring a lawyer for your small business will help you to determine how to get the right lawyer as well as the legal issues you could potentially run into as your business grows.
Some types of lawyers needed for a small business are:
- General Business Lawyers
- Employment and Labor Lawyers
- M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions) Lawyers
- Tax Lawyers
- Intellectual Property Lawyers
- Contract Lawyers
As small business lawyers are more of a service, you might not need to post a job description, unless you’re a larger company looking for full-time in-house counsel. In any case, here are some interview questions for a lawyer.
How to Hire an Executive Assistant
Executive assistants are the glue that holds it all together. The role of an executive assistant can be far-reaching, from all things business-related to some of the most personal tasks.
Aside from their core responsibilities, executive assistants become invaluable assets to the entire company, as they have a 360-degree view of everything that goes into running the company.
We found this guide to hiring an executive assistant extremely helpful—from the variety of tasks and responsibilities that could be involved to the importance of reference checks.
Our main takeaway? Just like making your first hire (and an executive assistant may very well be your first hire), this is a role where trustworthiness and synchronous partnership are going to be of the utmost importance.
How to Hire a Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are typically hired in order to provide support to companies or to individuals by handling work that can be done remotely.
Tasks include customer service, scheduling, data entry, word processing, and other administrative tasks.
Tasks include customer service, scheduling, data entry, word processing, and other administrative tasks.
Depending on the volume and confidentiality of the work at hand, your approach to hiring a virtual assistant will differ.
According to ZipRecruiter’s Virtual Assistant job description, virtual assistants typically need at least a high school diploma or GED certificate and experience using Microsoft Office software, Google apps, and email software.
Virtual assistants also need excellent verbal and written communication skills. Some positions require experience with specific software or apps, like PowerPoint or Excel.
When hiring a virtual assistant, make sure your job description clearly communicates the tasks and work you’ll need to be completed on a weekly basis. As with any job that deals in sensitive information, you’ll also want to ensure that any candidate is trustworthy and discreet.
How to Hire for Sales Jobs
Sales jobs can differ greatly, so your first move in hiring for sales is in creating an accurate job title when posting a job.
Let’s explore a few to begin, as well as what their jobs can typically look like:
Seasonal Sales Associate: Salespeople who are hired to manage overflow in busy seasons, like the holidays.
Field Sales Representatives: Salespeople who work in the field to sell products or services.
Inbound Sales Representatives: Salespeople who take inbound calls from potential clients.
B2B SAAS Sales Representatives: Salespeople who sell a software-based service to decision-makers at another business.
Beyond the endless sales titles, some sales jobs have a base salary plus commission and bonus structures. Whatever structure you decide to implement, make sure to communicate this in your job post.
When hiring for a sales position, our advice is this. If you’re unclear on the type of salesperson you’re looking for, do some research. Look up your competitors on LinkedIn to see what type of salespeople they have—and what sort of pay structure they offer. Make yours even better.
How to Hire for Retail Jobs
Retail sales jobs can be extremely difficult to fill. A candidate needs to have a good understanding of the products, sincere enthusiasm for what they’re selling, and great interpersonal skills.
For a retail sales position, you’ll want to look for soft skills above all else. You’re looking for someone who is enthusiastic, patient, and flexible.
Typically, your best retail sales associates are going to be individuals who are already enthusiastic about what you’re selling. They need to showcase patience, the ability to resolve potential conflict, and, above all else, a customer-first mindset.
How to Hire for Web Developer Jobs
If it’s time to build (or rebuild) your website, you’ll need a web developer who can translate your needs and vision into a clean, informative, and easy-to-use website.
While often used interchangeably, a website developer is not the same as a web designer. A web designer is an individual who designs what the site will look like. A web developer is a person who develops and writes the code to make the vision a reality.
However, it’s typical for a web designer to also know how to develop their design into a functional website.
According to WebsiteSetup, the crucial first step in hiring a web developer or a web designer is in identifying exactly what you need—both in design and in function.
This guide to hiring a web developer breaks down the types of web designers and web developers you might need and how to communicate your needs (without knowing the entire “web” language).
How to Hire a Software Developer
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for software developers will grow by 21 percent by 2028. While that’s exciting, there is still a huge skill gap when it comes to the jobs to fill versus the talent that exists to fill those positions.
For that reason, hiring technical talent like a software developer is extremely challenging. A software developer is someone who creates computer programs or apps to do specific tasks. This involves complex systems behind the scenes that most of us just…don’t really understand.
When hiring a software developer, you’ll want technical skills like the knowledge of SQL, Git, Java, Python, Linux, Oracle, and more.
The skills and languages differ depending on the type of software that needs to be built.
If you’re lost and looking for a great software developer, you’ll want to first identify what skills you’ll need. From there, ask for a portfolio and look for someone who can communicate with you in layperson’s language about what you need—and how they can achieve it.
Our last bit of advice? Unlike many other candidates, developers can be tougher to find. Try posting your opening on LinkedIn to find out who your network knows. From there, you might explore niche technology boards or ask friends who’ve had software created.
How to Hire a Graphic Designer
Nowadays, it can feel as if graphic designers make the world go ‘round. They create the captivating social media posts you see, the clean packaging on the items you buy, and, well, everything graphic.
When looking for a graphic designer, make sure to be specific.
Do you need someone who is well-versed in web design? Do you need a graphic designer to design paper goods or packaging? Do you need someone to design weekly marketing materials on a full-time basis?
Unsurprisingly, graphic designers are visual people. When writing a job description for a graphic designer, consider including the names of graphic designers, artists, or aesthetics you admire.
This will help you to know what you want from the start—and it will help potential designers to gather whether they can fit your aesthetic.
How to Hire for Marketing Jobs
In this attention economy, having a good marketer is more important than ever before. Marketers come in all shapes and sizes because there is so much marketing.
Before hiring an online marketer, do an honest assessment of your customer base. Where do they discover their most beloved products? Are they spending most of their time on news sites? Do they follow influencers on social media?
Before you hire a marketer, know what kind of marketing is likely to work for you and your business. Here are a few types of marketing positions and where they excel:
Content marketers: A marketer who creates and disseminates helpful content within your niche to attract an audience like your customers.
Digital marketers: Marketers who specialize in the digital landscape, paid advertising, keywords research, and the latest online marketing trends.
Email Marketers: Marketers who specialize in obtaining the best results from email marketing. These marketers are laser-focused on open rates, click-through rates, engagement, and email list building.
If you’re not sure what sort of marketer you’re looking for, you might consider hiring a marketing consultant or an entry-level marketer to help build a marketing strategy from the ground up.
- Content Marketer Job Description Template
- Digital Marketer Job Description Template
- Email Marketer Job Description Template
How to Hire a Social Media Manager
For better or worse, many businesses use social media as their digital calling card. It’s where they can reiterate their values, market (and even sell!) their products and services, and interact with their customers.
Social media managers are the lifeblood of many businesses. We think they don’t get their due respect. We see you, social media managers. We appreciate you.
Social media management can be a sort of umbrella term for a wide variety of responsibilities. Some social media managers are also expert digital marketers, seasoned graphic designers, super creatives, and superbly empathetic customer service professionals.
On top of all of that, social media managers must always have their fingers on the pulse of an ever-changing landscape. Social media platforms are like the Digital Wild West, and they are constantly changing.
When hiring a social media manager, look for someone with a great understanding of how the social landscape changes and who has demonstrated pivots to keep on top of the latest trends and best practices.
How to Hire a Telemarketer
Speaking of marketers, let’s talk about telemarketers. According to ZipRecruiter, telemarketers are marketing and sales professionals who contact potential leads by telephone to sell products or services.
Telemarketers can work in an office setting, from a call center, or from home, making many (many) calls in a day.
A good telemarketer has thick skin and is good at turning “no” into “well, maybe” or even, “yes!”
The best telemarketers will be great learners, highly incentivized, and quick on their feet.
When hiring a telemarketer, just like you would with a sales professional, make sure that you have your compensation strategy figured out—whether it’s an hourly plus commission pay structure or completely commission-based.
How to Hire a Recruiter
Sick of hiring already? Well, maybe it’s time for you to hire a recruiter to take your stressors away. According to First Round Review, an optimal time for a recruiter to join a company is when the company size is between 15 and 30 employees.
As a small business begins to scale, recruitment becomes a huge time and energy commitment, so a recruiter is a smart hire to make at this point of inflection.
A dedicated recruiter can ensure that your company is onboarding the best talent without taking away from other important areas of focus.
Recruiters should be great storytellers. A great way to screen for a recruiter would be to ask them, potentially in a cover letter, to communicate what your company does—to “sell” your company back to you.
How to Hire for Human Resources Jobs
Speaking of important hires, Business.com reports that once your company is approaching 50 employees, it’s crucial to hire an in-house Human Resources professional.
Many small businesses don’t heed this advice.
A recent study found that 41 percent of small business owners choose to handle HR themselves, which takes up from around 18 to upwards of 40 hours a month. Imagine where that time could be spent if you had a Human Resources professional on staff!
Sort of like an attorney, a human resources professional is a hire you’ll want to make to safeguard your entire operation from disputes, uncertainty, and lawsuits. Nobody wants that.
HR takes care of a myriad of responsibilities that any small business owner would be gleeful to take off their own plate. HR managers manage payroll, policies, interpersonal disputes, growth, and overall company culture.
A great HR manager will have excellent interpersonal skills, a solutions-based attitude, and a laser focus on maintaining your company’s core values.
How to Hire a Bookkeeper
When looking to offload your business’s financial responsibilities, look into hiring an accountant or bookkeeper. What’s the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant? We’re glad you asked.
Bookkeepers have a few essential tasks, including reconciling bank statements, processing payroll, processing accounts receivable and accounts payable, performing monthly closings, and tracking fixed assets.
Bookkeepers use their problem-solving skills to resolve any discrepancies they find. They communicate overall reports and work with suppliers and vendors to resolve any invoicing on both ends.
A good accountant will be a resolute problem-solver and extremely detail-oriented. When hiring a bookkeeper, you’ll likely want their experience to be in line with your needs. If you need payroll processed for a staff of 50+ employees, you’ll likely want a bookkeeper who has worked with an operation of similar size or who demonstrates the ability to do so.
How to Hire an Accountant or CPA
An accountant is about “one level up” from a bookkeeper.
Typically, accountants have at least an associate’s degree or an undergraduate degree in accounting. As such, accountants have a more in-depth knowledge of the rules of accounting for businesses.
Accountants are responsible for a variety of financial elements within a business—including the management of business financial statements, tracking and analyzing a business’s income and expenses, managing assets and liabilities in order to enact financial projections, budgets, and (of course) tax preparation.
Accountants know how to categorize transactions for a business or an individual—including more complicated financial situations like capital assets that need to be depreciated.
Accountants know how to present a business’s finances best to both investors, potential investors, and the super-intimidating IRS.
Important Distinction: An accountant may work as a bookkeeper, but not vice-versa. When someone uses the label “accountant,” it’s usually because they do not have CPA licensure, but they’re definitely more than just a bookkeeper.
Finally, a CPA is a Certified Public Accountant who has met all the requirements for licensure. This includes passing the Uniform CPA Examination and meeting the eligibility requirements for education, experience, and ethics, which vary by state jurisdiction.
In addition to that, CPAs must complete 120 hours of continued education every three years. So, basically, when you hire a CPA, you are hiring an accountant that is up to date on all things financial—and financially legal.
If you have complicated financial standings, your best bet is going to be a CPA, as they understand the financial aspects of virtually any business.
How to Hire for Writing Jobs
Need a writer to help you roll out your content marketing strategy?
Blogging is still huge, despite whatever “the blog is dead” article you may have seen over the past few years.
Beyond that, clear authoritative writing is going to be the backbone of any business.
Why? Everything needs copy. Your Instagram needs copy. Your marketing website needs clear language. Your product description, your blog, the packaging on your product, and the list goes on.
Before setting out to hire a writer or writers, identify what you need. If it’s a close eye on copy you’re writing, you might be looking to hire a copywriter. If you’re looking for an in-depth explanation of your product to share with the industry and your potential customers, you might be looking to hire a technical writer.
Examine what you need. Consider asking for a piece of writing in lieu of a traditional cover letter when looking to hire a creative writer for your blog.
All writers are not created equally, either. Make sure you find a writer who can match your tone and voice, who understands the language your organization speaks.
How to Hire for Project Manager Jobs
A business owner needs a project manager when they’re unable to dive in and out of the minutiae of every project.
Project managers are responsible for taking the lead on crucial projects. They ensure that everybody stays on track and that communication is the top priority at all times.
As a business owner, a great project manager will help you to sleep at night. Here are some key qualities to look for in a great project manager:
- Organized
- Detail-Oriented
- Proactive
- Adaptable
- Positive
- Flexible
- Trustworthy
- Influential
A great project manager is like a well-caulked tub. Nothing gets in and nothing gets out because the project manager has already creatively solved every problem before it had the chance to happen.
How to Hire for Data Analyst Jobs
Data Analyst positions are hotter than ever. Data analysts use a range of methods to chart, examine, analyze, and report on data for their clients.
Data analysts are able to inspect and transform data into glossy reports to show the health, growth, or losses of a business.
Data analysts are sort of like mathematician meets artist, as they combine their creativity with their analysis to explain how things can be improved or scaled.
When hiring for a data analyst, you might look for a candidate with a degree in mathematics or statistics.
In addition to a degree, data analysts also need to be able to understand and dissect a variety of programs in order to gain a clear understanding of all numbers.
However, since there are many certifications for data analysis, you could also go an alternate route and look for a candidate that balances math and creativity.
Skills to look for in a data analyst include:
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel
- Knowledge of SQL
- Understanding of statistics
If you’re not looking for a full-time data analyst position, you might instead hire a freelance data analyst to create an overall analysis and preliminary strategy going forward.
How to Hire for Customer Service Representative Jobs
In a world of online reviews, customer service representative jobs are more important than ever before.
Your customer service representative often acts as the ears and the voice of your organization. For this reason, hiring a great customer service representative is so important.
Many startups also hire customer success representatives. Like customer service roles, customer success representatives act as a resource for customers.
The main difference is that customer success professionals are more proactive—they often reach out to a new customer to problem-solve any potential issues before they have the chance to occur.
When looking for a customer service or customer success role, pay attention to candidates who are thoughtful, empathetic, patient, and great at problem-solving.
- Customer Service Representative Job Description Template
- Customer Success Manager Job Description Template
A Final Note on Hiring
Hiring can be stressful.
It’s expensive and scary to trust another individual. Plus, if it doesn’t end up working out, is it all your fault?
When hiring, it’s crucial to keep yourself open to a human learning experience. Even with the most preparation, you might miss something crucial.
However, relying on your gut and what fits correctly in your organization—as well as input from your trusted colleagues—can, and will, take you far. Happy hiring!
