When it comes to the economy, everyone seems to be waiting for something to happen. Reports we used to pay little attention to, like unemployment, consumer confidence, savings rates and housing starts, capture our attention and are analyzed closely.

Employers are no exception. They’ve weathered the economic storm, and many want to know if it’s ever going to turn around. You may be asking yourself if it’s time to spend some of the cash you’re holding on to, or if it’s time to hire again. Or you may just want to know if you can exhale yet!

We can’t tell you the answer to Questions 1 & 3, but here are some tips for question #2: How do you know if it’s time to hire?

1. You and your employees are stressed out. You might have cut positions, combined workloads, or just kept piling tasks on yourself and your staff. If your people are starting to show signs of discontent, are leaving things undone, or are threatening to walk out—you know you have a problem. It just might be solved with a new employee.

2. You are profitable. Profitability is a very good sign. But only when it happens for several months in a row. Much of this depends on your business, but if you’ve been turning a profit for 18 months, and your current staff is overworked, it might be time to hire. If you’re not steadily seeing profits, see #3.

3. The new hire will produce profit. If you’ve crunched the numbers and a new hire will pay for him or herself and then some, what are you waiting for?

4. You’re paying for temps or independent contractors. If there are services you need enough to pay higher temp and contractor fees, can you afford to turn that expense into an employee? Consider hiring a good-fit contractor or temp. If they have skills you need, then find a way to create a sustainable solution.

When you make the decision to hire, be sure to properly screen employment applicants. Pre-employment screening is an easy way to mitigate the risk of hiring staff with questionable backgrounds, criminal histories, or unacceptable credit problems.

Entrepreneurs are accustomed to “doing it all.” Their work styles make them self-starters, hard drivers and hard workers. One result is that sometimes, entrepreneurs are unable to let go. They believe the idea that if they don’t perform every task, it won’t get done properly—or at all.

However, this approach is not healthy for either the entrepreneur or the business. Hiring a “second in command” person is not always seen as priority for “I can do it all” business owners—but it is something they should absolutely consider.

This high-level employee can be invaluable to busy business owners, enabling them to focus on larger projects like strategic planning, or emergency problems requiring the owner’s full attention. They can also literally save their lives, by reducing the stress, lack of sleep, and poor health habits that plague most workaholic control junkies.

Hiring a second can save a business, too. What if the owner is the sole information of vital company information? How long would it take the business to recover if something happens to him or her? What about the employees, vendors, and customers who depend on the company—what happens to them if the business owner becomes ill, suffers an accident, or dies unexpectedly?

Not letting go of control is just too risky—for most every business. And while “I must do it all” entrepreneurs might think they’re the only ones capable of handling the details of running their businesses, chances are they lack a number of skills. After all, nobody can truly “do it all.”

Besides, when objectively analyzed, most day-to-day operations can easily be handled by a qualified executive-level hire. It’s best to recruit a second-in-command with skills the business owner lacks; a complementary work style is beneficial, too.

So if you’re a business owner who thinks you’re the only one who can do it all, think again. The job market is full of super-qualified people who could give you your life back—and make your business more productive, efficient, and successful.

Because this is such a crucial position, due diligence is a must when hiring a second-in-command. Check references, and run a thorough employee background screening to be sure you’re hiring someone you can really trust.

There are a lot of talented, unemployed people out there. People with skills, talent, and years of experience. Some have been looking for work for 3, 6, 12 months now—or longer. And if you’re hiring employees, prepare to be inundated with resumes and applications.

Before you start the hiring process, here are a few tips that might make it more pleasant for the folks you’re going to be interviewing. “But wait,” you might be thinking to yourself. “Why should I care about whether it’s pleasant for THEM? What about ME?”

It is about you. You see, when you treat people well, they’ll remember. They’ll probably tell their spouses. They might even tell their siblings, or their friends. But if you treat people badly, they’ll remember a lot longer. And they’ll definitely tell their spouses, along with their parents, their friends, the cable guy, their hair stylist—they will tell more people than you care to know that you are a bad person, they had a rotten experience with your company, and it doesn’t deserve anyone’s business.

So hire politely. Here’s how:
1. Remember the person you’re interviewing is an individual. Call them by name, make eye contact, and smile. Make every attempt to connect with the applicant—even if you find it difficult to warm up to them. They might be really nervous. Be kind.

2. Don’t rush. You don’t have to make the interview last for 3 hours, but don’t make the job applicant feel unworthy of your time by rushing through it. Relax, take a breath, and pace your questions.

3. Listen. Make notes, ask follow-up questions, nod—in other words, give signals that you’re listening. The candidate can tell if you’re not.

4. Be honest. If you have many applicants for a single position, it’s okay to let the applicant know that there is competition. But don’t wield it like a weapon to scare him or her. You might find out how much they want the job and what they’ll do to earn it—and isn’t that the purpose of the interview?

5. After the interview, do what you said you’d do. If you tell the candidate, “We’ll get back to you in a few days,” then do it. If you tell the candidate, “It’s looking good; I’ll call you with next steps,” then do so. Each person who takes the time to come in and talk about your business deserves at least what you say you’ll do—even if you haven’t made any decisions yet. It’s okay to say, “I know I said I’d call you, but unfortunately I don’t have any news yet.”

6. When the hiring decision is made, call the interviewees who did not get the job. If you don’t have time to do it, then have someone else call. Why? It’s the polite thing to do.

7. And when you reject an applicant, don’t give them the reasons why. Don’t give into requests to talk about it. Just tell them you appreciate their time and interest in your company, but you hired another candidate.

Perhaps your company is just starting to hire again after the economic downturn, and you need ideas on how to make your new hires more successful. You don’t want to just hire them, run them through the standard orientation, and let them go.

Here are a few tips that just might help your new employees do their jobs better, sooner—and make you happy that you hired them.

New hires need to know your company’s culture. Simply put, if everyone except the new guy knows that Fridays are Hawaiian shirt day, or that nobody ever works late, you’re not doing them any favors by withholding such information. It can be difficult for business owners to see the company culture because they’re so used to it—but it’s important to help new employees adapt to it.

And start right away—maybe even before the person is hired. Hiring the candidate who’s most qualified but just won’t fit in with your company culture is probably a recipe for failure. Let candidates know during the interview process how things are done, and allow them to decide if your company is a good fit for them. Be honest and paint a realistic picture of your organization.

Introducing a promising candidate to the rest of the team will make them feel more comfortable when and if they are hired. They’ve already met the people they’re going to be working with, so one big barrier is overcome. If you can’t make introductions before hiring the new employee, be sure to make proper introductions on Day 1.

As manager or owner, your job is to recognize who the new hire will work closely with, who their possible conflicts might be with, and who can help them in their position. Tell your new hire who the 5 most important staff members are for her to know. Ask those staffers to take a few minutes to meet with the new hire and identify ways they will work together.

Training is good, but too much training and not enough working can be detrimental to a new employee. Provide resources and support the new employee needs, but let them do their job, too. This allows your new employee to make connections with other staff, and learn how things are really done.

Helping your new employees learn your company culture and who they need to know are two ways to help them transition more successfully!

Are stacks of resumes piling up on your desk? Is your email inbox overflowing with inquiries from potential employees who not only are not qualified, but didn’t follow your application instructions? It’s not easy to find qualified employees, even when the nation’s unemployment rate is 10%. In fact, it’s harder than ever for some business owners to weed through the flood of applicants to hire just one or two employees.

We asked a few HR Managers where they go to save time and their sanity when it’s time to hire. Perhaps you can use some of these great ideas:

Professional Associations: If you’re a member of a group for accountants, attorneys, credit managers, automobile dealers, natural food store owners, or whatever your profession—try checking in with your local or regional affiliate. You might find an out-of-work industry veteran in their ranks—maybe even someone can fill your job opening.

Ask yourself, “Where do the people with the skills I want hang out?” or, “Where do they go for continuing education?” For example, if you need a website programmer, do an online search for a local web developer group, or see if there is a Facebook group in your area. Then, check local community colleges, technical colleges, and universities. Their placement offices could have your perfect candidate waiting for an opportunity.

Check your own online networking groups. LinkedIn is the most popular professional social media site. If you belong, ask your LinkedIn group members if they know people who match your needs. If you don’t belong to LinkedIn, it’s easy to join. Put out the word that you’re hiring on your company’s Facebook page and Twitter account. Use the contacts you’ve already made online to spread the word fast.

Does your company website have a news page or blog? Consider it your company bulletin board—only with a much bigger reach! Post your “now hiring employees” notice there.

Talk to your competition—if they’re not hiring, let them know that you are. Perhaps they can send a candidate or two your way—or give you the contact information of that terrific employee they just had to lay off.

Are you registered with a local Workforce or Employment office in your area? After all, that’s the place you’ll find people who don’t have jobs but want to work.

When you use your networks and online contacts, or just try using a personal touch and reaching out in your community, you may find your search for qualified employees just got a little easier!

Every business has different needs from its employees. A day-care center and a lawn-care service both have “care” in their names, but if the nanny is better with chrysanthemums than with kids, he or she is not going to fill the day care owner’s needs.

Still, there are plenty of basic traits employers like to see in their job applicants. We surveyed a few employers who are hiring right now about the most important qualities their new employees have. NO matter how smart, how educated, or how articulate a job-seeker is, remember this list when you’re hiring—because these are the qualities that really count!

Christine, a communications company owner, said, “First, I look for talent, then creativity. Everyone has a gift, and my job as an employer is to figure out how each employee’s talent can benefit my company. Creativity is absolutely essential. I can’t be the only one to solve problems. Having creative people around spurs ideas, growth, and helps us overcome challenges.”

Joseph, a construction company manager, looks for honesty and integrity, a positive attitude, and flexibility when he’s hiring new employees. “I know it’s difficult to judge these qualities through a job interview. That’s why we conduct background checks to make sure we’re hiring honest people. Past employers will tell me if a candidate has integrity. And asking the right questions reveals the person’s attitude and flexibility. These are traits that I cannot teach an employee—and I don’t have the time to deal with anyone’s bad attitude or rigidity.”

“I like to hire adults,” says Cynthia, a financial services HR manager. “Follow-through is important. Our supervisors don’t want employees who just don’t do what they say they’lll do. And who has time to follow-up to make sure they do their job? So, self-reliance and drive are two other qualities I definitely look for in a job candidate.”

To Kevin, owner of a small organic farm, three things are all that matter: “Passion. Confidence. And the desire to work. I can teach anyone how to do their job if they have those three attributes going for them.”

Heather owns a tech-services company. She says, “To me, adaptability is key. Things in our business change every day. Employees who are stuck in a rut or work only within the limits of their job description are just not going to succeed here. So, I don’t hire anyone without demonstrated adaptability. If they’re highly responsible and smile a lot, that also helps them when I’m deciding whom to hire.

If you’re an employer getting ready to hire again, keep these traits in mind, and see how they fit within your company’s needs and culture. Some qualities are just good for employees to have!

Human Resources pros and business owners are facing unprecedented numbers of applicants for limited—or zero—job openings. It’s nearly impossible to review every single resume, and it’s not efficient to even try.

Hiring has become more about recruiting than passive receiving of applications and resumes. Some employers are avoiding the resume onslaught by eliminating job postings altogether, preferring to use outreach strategies instead. Here are some tips to target your employee search and avoid the time-waste of reviewing hundreds of resumes:

1. Go online! LinkedIn.com is the go-to professional social networking site. If you’re unfamiliar with LinkedIn, do yourself a favor and join. It’s free (they do have a paid option), and it’s a great place to “meet” other professionals from across the country—or across the ocean. Start building connections, join appropriate groups, and let everyone know when you’re looking for new talent. LinkedIn even has a search-by-industry feature.
2. Check out your industry’s continuing education opportunities. Whether you’re looking for an accountant, a finance professional, support staff, or a marketing manager, you’ll find online and face-to-face training courses geared toward them. Find out where and when they are happening, and let the course or workshop leader know you have a hiring opportunity. People who are working on improving their skills could make great employees.
3. Ask around. Talk to your vendors: they probably know lots of companies in your industry. They may know a fantastic worker who just left one of them. Talk to your employees. Chances are very good their friends and family members know someone who’s looking for a job.
4. Be social. Attend local business events and networking opportunities. Hand out cards, make new contacts, and let folks know what you need. Your next recruit could be right in front of you. If not, you’ll make valuable contacts who might send someone your way in the future.
5. Be social online. Twitter is probably the fastest way to send word around to the largest group of people. You can’t set up your account and instantly have thousands of followers (unless you’re Bill Gates or Oprah), but it’s a great way to build connections over time. When you need those connections, they’ll be ready to help you find a good employee.

Next time you’re hiring employees, try a more targeted approach—and spare yourself the time you would have spent reading all those unacceptable resumes, hoping for the right one to jump out of the pile!

Employment numbers are lagging indicators of the economy. While Gross Domestic Product gained 3.5% in the third quarter of 2009, payrolls continued to fall. Job losses announced in November were 11,000. The number is the lowest monthly job loss since December 2007 and the eighth consecutive month where losses were fewer than the month before. As we close out 2009, what is the U.S. employment outlook for next year?

Unemployment is expected to peak sometime next year, and remain around 10% through 2010 and into 2011. However, the huge losses suffered at the beginning of 2009, when 700,000 jobs were lost per month appear to be behind us.

In addition, temp jobs increased in November, and unemployment fell by 0.2% to 10%. Economists had expected an unchanged rate, so the drop is a good sign. The Labor Department also revised job losses for September and October, form 190,000 to 111,000 in October, and from 219,000 to 139,000 in September.

Other indicators are strengthening as well. The stock market is up and business investment in equipment and software increased in the third quarter.  According to economists, meaningful job growth is expected by the end of 2010, spurred both by federal government investment and private employer hiring. Additional indicators: consumer spending was up in November by .5%, while personal incomes were up .4%.

The average number of hours worked each week has fallen throughout the recession. But in November, the average workweek increased by .2 hour to 33.2 hours. The manufacturing workweek increased .3 hour to 40.4 hours. Still, there are 15.4 million unemployed persons in the U.S. and the number of folks working part-time due to cut hours or inability to find full-time work was little changed at 9.2%.

Americans are working hard; productivity is growing. Output rose by 4% while number of hours fell by 5%. This indicates that employers are doing more with less—and may not need to add workers just yet.

But in the long run, increasing productivity is expected to increase demand for workers, as well. What is your company’s employment plan for 2010?

Here’s a twist on the usual employer advice. We’re going to tell you what NOT to do if you want to be a successful leader of teams or individual employees:

• Don’t hire indifferent applicants: You can’t teach passion. Limit your hires to people with passion. Whether it’s for a hobby, their accomplishments, previous jobs, or your company, product or customers, passion is the secret ingredient that makes good employees great.
• Don’t multi-task: Pay attention to one thing—or person—at a time. New studies show that multi-tasking is not an effective way to manage your to-do list. Encourage your employees to focus on what they’re good at, and to not try to solve every problem.
• Don’t ignore your gut: There may be a good reason you feel you can’t trust a particular worker. However, if you feel that way about the majority of your employees, the problem is probably you—learn to give up control and to trust people. Let go of the little things and manage from a higher place.
• Don’t be stingy: Generosity breeds loyalty. Make it part of your company’s culture to give time, energy, and presence, as well as fair pay and benefits, to the best of your physical and financial ability.
• Don’t shut out ideas: Listen to your staff’s ideas. Out of ten ideas, you might hear eight that are just bad, one that’s promising, and one that knocks your socks off. And when you hear that great idea, execute it—make it happen. It could be good for the company and will definitely be good for employee morale.
• Don’t be all business: If you’re not enjoying what you do, it’s not likely that the people who work for you will. Make a joke. Ask how people are. Bring in cookies. Take a half day off just to goof off. Have fun.

Any business that survived 2009 is positioned to improve in 2010. Hopefully, lending will loosen up, enabling businesses to invest in equipment or facilities. Hopefully, job losses will halt, employment will tick up, and consumers will again have cash to spend.

If your planning for next year includes adding employees, it’s a good time to reflect upon your most important asset—human capital—and plan on how you’ll inspire your people to perform at their best, while keeping them enthusiastic and productive about their work and your company.

Effective teams of workers are not happy accidents. In the leadership role, business owners and managers directly affect the performance of their teams. Hiring the right people and placing them in the right position on the right team is a delicate, but necessary practice. If it’s done well, your business will run better and more profitably.

Asking the right questions starts before the hiring process does. Ask your current staff what additional personnel they would hire, given the chance. Ask what they need. Ask what’s working and not working in their current team relationships. Listen well, and ask for input. Have a brainstorming session. While your employees may not have all the answers—or even many usable ideas—it’s important they feel included in the process. And usually, the workers on the ground are acutely aware of what’s lacking in their world.

During the hiring process, look for attributes that will fit in well with established teams. This doesn’t mean that your staff cannot work with someone who doesn’t share their musical taste or hobbies. It’s good to have a diverse group of people working toward a common goal, so everyone contributes his or her strengths. While skills can be learned, enthusiasm, a positive outlook, and passion to do well cannot. Debbie Downers will often bring everyone around them down, too.

Acknowledge and quickly deal with conflicts as they arise. It’s part of gluing a good team together. Certain rules, like fostering a sense of mutual respect, should be adhered to. Let your team know that open communication is always okay, and they’ll be more likely to put conflicts behind them.

Take the time to find the best people, thorough sound procedures, including pre-employment screening. Turnover is costly both in terms of dollars spent and goodwill lost when team members have to deal with new hires more than they should. Nurture your new hires, integrate them fully, and provide all your people the resources they need to succeed. Spend time and effort in 2010 to keep your most valuable asset—your people.