Beam Up Your Crew
Now let's take a look at the types working arrangements we can set up, assess the benefits of building a well trained team, then look at where to find crew.
Working Agreement
How you want to structure your business will dictate the type of working agreement you set up. If you charge hourly to your clients, then it might be easier to sub contract work out hourly. There are many options when considering working arrangements, from task based, project based, to part-time and dedicated staff.
The advantage of hiring part time workers is that you are hiring someone in a limited fashion for specific tasks. This makes it easy to manage. There are also advantages to hiring full-time workers: they are more dedicated to your business and they give you access to more hours, as business opportunities arise. You'll need to decide which type is the best fit for your current and future needs.
Training Your Crew
Ideally the positions or tasks you hire for should be easy to train new crew members in.
With guidelines and procedures in place, new crew should get up and running rapidly, with as little time investment needed from you as possible. And if you ever need to replace a worker, having all training materials already created will save you loads of time.
Do:
- Create Training Materials
- Train Guidelines and Procedures
- Teach Crew to Work in Your System
- Set Expectations
I've made the mistake of training new hires using the phone to discuss things too much, rather than creating documents that allow for easy reference, both initially, and when needed in the future. After creating training documents, future staff I've trained have gotten up and running quicker, with less hands on time needed from me, which has been really helpful.
Avoid:
- Hands on Training
- Phone
- Instant Messaging
Where to Find Crew
Workers are everywhere. Ask for recommendations from people you trust. There are loads of job boards as well as dedicated job bidding sites that you can utilize.We have a huge list of sites on FreelanceSwitch where you can find freelancers for any need you have, The Monster List of Freelance Job Sites – 2011 Edition.
FreelanceSwitch Job Board
Also, our FreelanceSwitch job board is the place to find quality freelancers. It's where you can find new crew members. Post a free job ad and you’ll get talented freelance professionals contacting you to discuss your project immediately.
Part 4: Ship's Systems
Part 6: Engage