How to Find the Right Team for Your New Franchise

You’ve chosen the right franchise opportunity for your new business. 

You’ve researched and settled on the a great location. You’ve got a plan, excitement, bank accounts, a marketing plan… you are just about ready to rock and roll! 

Hold up one sec… 

Unless you are one of those folks who truly wants to pour every ounce of their being into the business 24/7, you’re going to need a little help.  

And a little help means… people. 

Not only people, but good people. The right people.  

In fact: 

“Hiring employees is one of the most important functions of any owner. A poor hire will drain your time, patience, and bank account (when you finally cut ‘em loose). But a good hire will add measurably to your success.” (Franchise Direct) 

Okay, this definitely goes on the don’t-screw-this-up list. Got it. 

But… how do you find the right team for your new franchise? How do you hire folks that will help you make your new venture the best it can be? 

We got you. 

There are three main phases to creating an all-star team, and we’ve whipped up a comprehensive list of tips to help you find and hire a winning crew. 

Phase I: The Preparation

As tempting as it might be to just throw a job description or two up on some online job boards and wait for the inevitable avalanche of resumes, a little prep work goes a long way. 

Define what you need

Don’t rush this step. Take some time to really identify and define what key roles/positions your business needs to succeed. 

Do you truly need a “lead box folder”, or can those responsibilities be rolled into another position?  

On the other hand, be careful of packing too much into one role. You don’t want to find someone awesome just to burn them out within the first 6 months. 

Your franchisor might be able to help you with this step – chances are they’ve been around this particular block before. These resources are a great first step, but make sure you customize your hiring wishlist to what’s best for your unique business. 

Define what your ideal candidate looks like in each role – a solid candidate profile can make your evaluation process quicker and easier. 

Identify what characteristics or qualifications are non-negotiable, and which are more flexible. 

Say you are hiring for a mortgage brokerage. Does it make sense to take a chance on someone who is lacking a certain license and could land you and your business in a nasty legal mess?  

Yeah, that definitely goes in the deal-breaker column. 

Don’t forget about personality traits! Not only do you want to think about what kind of culture you want to build, but attitude can be everything: 

 “Employees with great attitudes do more to build customer satisfaction and repeat business than any other asset you have in your franchise. They do more than signs, displays, ads, coupons, or anything else you try to boost your business. They are the lifeblood of your success.” (FranchiseWire) 

That’s pretty powerful stuff. 

Craft an effective job description 

The clearer and more detailed you can be about what you want, the easier it will be to find the right people. Be up front about your needs and expectations. 

Figure out which skills or knowledge they need to have to hit the ground running and emphasize those. Skills that can be taught on the job can be moved to the “nice to have” or “preferred” list. 

Read your job descriptions from the perspective of a job applicant. Make sure it clearly reflects your brand values and culture, the expected responsibilities, and even opportunities for training and growth. 

Don’t forget about “soft skills” – communication, teamwork, problem-solving, etc. These skills aren’t as concrete as, say, mortgage lending compliance expertise, but can be equally important to the success of a new hire. 

Remember the importance of attitude? It’s easier to train a skill than change someone’s personality.  

Reality check your budget

Do some research – find out what people with the skill sets and attributes you want are typically making. You don’t want to find the PERFECT PERSON just to realize that their one salary will eat up your entire employee budget. 

Use industry standards and benchmarks to make sure you are competitive.  And don’t forget to figure benefits into your calculations! 

If you’re struggling to stay on financial track, reevaluate.  

Are there roles where you can hire someone at more of an entry level and train them up? This can free up money to spend on more experienced folks with skills from your non-negotiable list. 

Phase II: The Call and Response

Now that you’ve figured out exactly what you need, what that person looks like and what you can afford… 

You need to get it out into the world where the right person can find it. 

Fly! Be free!

It’s time to get the word out.  

A relatively easy place to start is by posting your open positions to your social media.  

LinkedIn is a “Duh!” But job postings can also get attention on Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor… wherever you have a social media presence. 

This can have the side benefit of helping to drive social media engagement and boost visibility. Bonus! 

Other online platforms like Indeed and Monster can also be effective but be prepared to have to wade through a lot of rocks to find the gems. 

And, of course, post your listings on your own website! 

Don’t be afraid to use “traditional” recruiting methods too. 

• Ask for referrals from your network. 
• Encourage current employees to reach out to their friends. 
• Post on boards at local universities or career centers. 
• Reaching out to industry-specific organizations. 
• Post on community boards. 

These can all be effective ways to track down great talent. 

It also helps to know and get involved in your community.  

Not only does it create goodwill for your new business, but you may also uncover other ways of attracting fabulous people. 

I mean, you know your business rocks – cultivate the reputation that yours is the business everyone wants to work for! 

Picking through the resume pile

Your efforts to get the word out worked! Awesome! 

But… now you’re faced with an inbox that’s overflowing with resumes. 

Oy. 

Wait! You have your candidate profiles!  

Using these as your benchmarks: start with your non-negotiables list and weed out anyone who doesn’t meet your must-have minimums. 

Check relevant experience, qualifications, soft skills… all the basics. 

Next, you might want to pull out those that also have your “nice-to-haves.” Don’t necessarily eliminate the folks that have less or none of these, but for now they can be set aside for later evaluation. 

If you still have an abundance of choices, set some priorities. 

Are you looking for the closest past experience matches, or do glowing recommendations from previous employers impress you more? 

It’s okay to check references in this stage of the process, especially if you need more help narrowing down the list. It’s an easy step to skip but can often uncover incompatible personality quirks or poor performance history that doesn’t show up on a resume. 

If you’re STILL feeling overwhelmed, there are software solutions that can help you manage and screen resumes. Just remember that these systems are not perfect. 

Software can focus too much on a specific skill set and disqualify people that may actually be perfect for what you need. 

Computers also stink at evaluating whether someone is a good cultural fit, or how effectively they would blend into a cohesive team. 

Phase III: The Talk 

You’ve narrowed down your potential hires to those who look good on paper, but a resume doesn’t come close to telling the whole story. It’s time to bring the hopefuls in for an old-fashioned grilling. 

Preparation… again!

Put some thought into a standard list of questions to have at the ready. This will guarantee you at least a minimum of information about each applicant.  

They can include more typical questions: 

• What are your career goals?  
• What inspires and motivates you? 
• What do you consider to be your biggest achievement or most valuable traits? 
• Why are you leaving your current job? 

Or some that dig into how that person might perform in a specific role: 

• Give me one example of a workplace conflict and how you resolved it. 
• You are faced with xxx situation. What would you do? 
• How would you handle an angry customer? 
• Was there a time you made a mistake? How did you fix it? 

If you are in a highly regulated industry like a mortgage brokerage or hiring for a money-handling role, it might also be a good idea to dig into questions about ethics and morals. 

If you end up off on a tangent… great! Chances are you’ll learn even more about that person’s values, goals, and personality. Perfect! 

One word of caution: don’t ask questions that are prohibited by law. That never ends well. 

The Actual Interview

Interviews are stressful, no matter how you slice it. 

However, this is your chance to really get a feel for whether or not this is the right person for you and your business. 

Somewhere along the way, you’ve probably been part of a team that didn’t quite click, right? 

Yup. Ugh. 

Making sure your new hire is someone that fits your team’s culture and vibe raises morale for everyone. Happy employees typically work harder and take better care of your customers.  

Everyone  wins! 

If your gut is telling you this might be “The One”, bring other members of your team into the interview (or schedule a second round.)  

Inclusion shows your current employees that you value them and their opinions, and they might provide additional insights or impressions. You can also see how they all interact with your potential new hire. 

Make sure you take the time to educate your candidates as well. 

Explain the role. Talk through expectations and workload. Listen to what questions they have and address them. 

And watch their reactions and responses.  

Non-verbal cues can often give the best insight into what a person really thinks. If their eyes start to wander while you’re listing the details of the job or they get defensive when you ask them about their work habits…. 

Danger, Will Robinson! Abort mission! 

The Aftermath

It’s decision time. 

Now that you have your stack of finalists, do your due diligence. 

Get authorization and run background checks. Make sure they have the appropriate work permits or licenses.  

Call their references. Gather impressions from other team members. 

Centralize your notes and information, including resumes, qualifications, and interview impressions. Make pro and con lists or comparison charts if those help you organize your thoughts. 

You’re never going to be 100% sure, and that’s okay. 

Do your best. Go with your gut, pick one, and leap. 

Yes, there’s a chance that your pick will crash and burn.  

But there’s also the chance that they will soar. 

Stash a few of your other top contender resumes in a drawer – if you end up having to start over, at least you won’t have to do it from scratch. 

Finding the best team for your new franchise can be time and labor-intensive, occasionally frustrating, and exhausting. 

But, putting in the time and effort to define, prepare, and interview effectively can not only set your business up for success… 

It can also save you a heck of a lot of heartache and trouble down the road. 

After all, you didn’t sign up to be a babysitter, conflict negotiator or personal therapist. Your goal is to build a successful business with happy customers and happy employees. 

Now… go get ‘em!