What Mistakes Have I Learned From My Experience as a Boss?

It's Easier to Work With Freelancers Than With Hired Employees

From the beginning of my career in PR, I built my working day by the hour and clearly executed my tasks. But later, it turned out that my work model was the exception rather than the rule.

My hiring practice showed that ordinary PR people in offices spend up to 3 hours a day on tea parties, conversations with colleagues, and smoke breaks. That is, their focus is socializing, not performing their job duties.

That is why I prefer to work with freelancers: you will pay more, but you will get a better, faster result. The reason is simple—the freelancer's income depends on the number of tasks performed, not the working hours. Plus, she/he looks after the reputation and is interested in working with you on an ongoing basis.

You Need to Search for Proactive People

I understand working with freelancers isn't for everyone - it has risks, too. If you went the classic route and decided to hire an employee, pay attention to his character during the interview. The person must be active, with glowing eyes, who loves their job and tries to achieve career success.

20 years of experience and big names in the portfolio are no longer indicators of success because large brands are often worked on by a team, and an employee leaving the company tends to take the credit for himself. Give a job seeker a test assignment: see how he thinks and how creatively he approaches a problem.

You need to find someone who will not wait and work only in coordination with his superiors. You need someone who will set a goal, schedule it by tasks, do the work, and report on the results. Then you will trust your employees and be able to deal with the global tasks that are important to the growth of the company.

Stop Feeling Sorry for Your Employees

As a manager, you should take employees' problems into account and try to help them eliminate them to improve workflow efficiency. But don't let employees pass the buck on to you for their lives and decisions. Say goodbye to those who come into the office to chat, and financially reward those who clearly do their jobs. Then your office will have a healthy work environment.

Tell me in the comments if my advice was helpful to you. Let's discuss what other practices help you hire effectively.