How do you find an employee who is willing to work at least 50% as hard as you do?

[Partyfops]

Running your own business is hard, I have never ever worked as hard as I have since I started my own business. And I guess I work that hard because it is my business and I benefit from it.

I recently employed someone to do the same job as me. But I have to say that although this person wants to do a good job, there just isn't the full effort there. They are just not going the extra 250 yards, let alone the extra mile. I pay a fairly good rate and as they are still training I have given them something to aim for with qualifications and extra pay eventually.

Anyone else finding it frustrating?

By giving them a portion of the profits? Rare indeed is the employee who would be wiling to work just as hard and just as long as someone with an actual interest in the business.

Unless you offer some sort of bonus structure what benefit is there of your employee working themselves ragged?

But i'm not asking for long hours, i'm just asking for the effort to climb through/over/past a small/medium bush to take a gas meter reading rather than just saying, no sorry there was a bush in the way - as an example.

I would consider some sort of partnership agreement if the person was right. But surely that person needs to show willing that they are worth it.

You need to pay very well and share profits.

But even with a very small local business? How would the business ever survive?

I think the employee also needs to earn that too, don't you think? You can't just expect to walk into a job and get paid top whack and a share in the profits. Surely you have to earn your stripes to a degree.

Especially in a field in which you weren't qualified for to start with. That company is going to train you and offer you qualifications too.

We are talking small, 2 person business. Not big multi national.

Trial and error I'm afraid. Paying higher wages/bonuses isn't always the answer. Quite simply, some people are willing to go the extra mile, even if on minimum wage, simply for job satisfaction. Others, even if paid very well, will continue to find every obstacle and make massive efforts not to do the job. Human nature, pure and simple.

I guess another approach would be to look at it from the other point of view. I’d be inclined to post on chat and ask ‘if you work for a small business please tell me what things your boss does that you hate’. ....and what also what they do that you love. I’ve worked for quite a lot of small business owners, some have been great and others, frankly awful. Check you’re not unintentionally doing things that put you on the crap list!

I employing people is a huge thing, you have to get it right from the job advert, to the interview and the managing them well. Do you have much people management experience?

I think you need someone who wants to learn, to be given opportunities to move up in time and to be trusted - so they have an equal say even though the buck stops with you in the final decision.

They need to feel that being part of the business will benefit them in some way - I don’t just mean pay - I mean in being given a bit of slack if family commitments demand it for example. Make them feel they are as important as you in growing the business.

Good pay etc is good but i stay motivated by being pushed a little out of my comfort zone and feeling like my thoughts and opinions count. Ultimately though you need to find those people who see working as more than just a job to endure but a place they want to be part of and see grow. That is likely the hard part because it’s not something you’ll find on a CV.

I think it comes down to the person's personality too. Some people are naturally really hard working and go getters, they won't need pushing whereas others are more relaxed and would need a motivator or a push.

I always worked really hard when I was young. When I started my first job after university, my boss gave me a job where I would have to learn a lot (in computers). It was a small start up and I knew nothing about the business or had even used a computer (in the early 80s).

She asked a lot of me and paid very little at first. I worked my socks off. I sometimes slept in the office under the desk if we had a really big new contract I was trying to meet the deadline for. We didn't really have enough staff and I wasn't too efficient in those days as I was so inexpexpeienced.

I was promoted very quickly and she paid me really well as soon as she was making a a.profit ( which was quite) .
However, despite being hard working, loyal, and after a couple of years year pretty excited isn't/ good at my job when it came eto giving out a director role, 5 years after that company started. It went to her new boyfriend who had recently started work there.

Don't get me wrong, her boyfriend ( eventually husband) was good at his job but so was I by then. He had been there a year, I had been there 5. I had earned the directorship but he got it in the end.

It taught me a valuable lesson, I particular about small family businesses. I would.nevwr work for one again

Sadly I can identify with the last line of your post bumblingbovine49 My long term plan is that eventually I will need to take on 2 or 3 people, now I am less jaded and feel that I can call upon my experiences as a guide for how not to treat people.

That said, 2 of the small business owners that I worked for were fantastic.

I have been SUPER lucky with my first employee (who is still with me 7 years in), and have struggled to find a virtual assistant who is as diligent, intelligent, hardworking and all-round lovely as her.

I think I just really hit the jackpot in finding someone who was a good fit, personality and general ethos-wise.

Good luck with it - running your own business and growing it is not for the faint-hearted!