57: Hiring & Your Zone of Genius

In this episode, we take a deep dive into transitioning from a solopreneur to focusing on tasks that are truly within your zone of genius. We'll explore the importance of working within this zone and how it can increase productivity and business growth. I'll share practical tips on identifying tasks for delegation and discuss effective hiring practices while I take you through our three-phase hiring process. The goal of this episode is to equip you with the knowledge you need to confidently embark on your own hiring journey. Don't forget to download our free Task Tending worksheet from the show notes—it's a valuable resource to help you identify tasks that can be delegated or outsourced.

Download your Task Tending Worksheet

Just like in a thriving garden, tasks are cared for according to their nature and potential—some are watered, some pruned, some pulled and others transplanted to create an environment conducive to growth and productivity. The Task Tending worksheet will help you identify and audit your tasks paired with your “Freedom Figure” so you know what to delegate. You'll also learn how to calculate your Freedom Figure to serve as a benchmark for deciding which tasks to delegate.

 Episode Highlights

1. Understanding Your Zone of Genius: First, we discussed the importance of identifying and working more in your zone of genius - the intersection of your greatest passions and best skills, which ultimately propels your business to grow quicker and find more success.
2. Our Hiring Process:
• Phase 1: Initial Screening through applications and a questionnaire.
• Phase 2: Sample Projects (paid) that provide insight into a candidate’s actual work style, their ability to collaborate, and their creativity and problem-solving skills. This phase is also beneficial for the company as it provides valuable work that can be used in actual projects.
• Phase 3: Zoom Interviews where we get to dive deeper into the candidate's experiences, clarify any doubts, and discuss more about our company’s mission.
3. Effective Onboarding and Training: Set your employees up for long-term success and to boost the overall productivity of the company. This also involves getting everything set up for them, providing them with equipment, software, and access to necessary resources, and giving them a clear understanding of our company's history, culture, and values.
4. The Value of Intrapreneurship: Acting like an entrepreneur inside someone else's business leads to a more successful and harmonious team.
5. The Power of Delegation: Delegating tasks outside of your zone of genius not only allows you to focus on the work you love and are good at, but also enhances the quality of your products and services, leading to happier customers and a more successful business.

Job Posting Sites for Finding Potential Candidates

1. Indeed: A popular job board with millions of job listings from thousands of websites.
2. LinkedIn: A professional networking site where you can post jobs and search for candidates.
3. Glassdoor: Known for company reviews, it also offers job listings and allows employers to build a comprehensive profile.
4. Monster: A long-standing job board offering a wide range of job listings.
5. CareerBuilder: One of the largest job boards, offering a vast database of potential candidates.
6. SimplyHired: This site aggregates job listings from around the web and provides tools to filter and sort them.
7. ZipRecruiter: This site distributes your job posting to over 100 leading job boards with one click.
8. Snagajob: A popular job site for hourly work.
9. Craigslist: An online classified section where jobs can be posted locally.
10. Wellfound: A platform for startups, angel investors, and job-seekers looking to work at startups.

Industry-Specific Job Boards:

1. Behance: A great resource for hiring creatives, including designers, illustrators, and photographers.
2. Dribbble: Another community of creatives, focusing mainly on designers.
3. ProBlogger Job Board: A go-to source for content writers and bloggers.
4. Idealist: A social impact job board for nonprofits

Freelance Websites:

1. Upwork: A platform with a wide range of freelancers from writers and editors to designers and developers.
2. Fiverr: A platform for hiring freelancers to perform specific tasks at set rates.
3. Freelancer: A platform where freelancers can bid on your projects.
4. Toptal: A freelance talent network that offers top 3% of freelance talent.
5. TaskRabbit: A platform for hiring freelancers for physical tasks like moving, cleaning, or delivery.
6. Fancy Hands: A platform for hiring virtual assistants for small tasks.

Resources & Links Mentioned

• The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
• The Professional Creative Episode 49: SOPs for Creatives

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Review of the week: 

ENCOURAGING CONFIRMATIONS

I found this podcast a couple of weeks ago and am already through listing to episode 10. Bonnie Christine is echoing lessons I’ve already learned from my business coach, and her words encourage and inspire me to keep striving towards my goals. As a watercolor artist, she now has me curious about surface design as well.

—Christine Foster Randall