Hiring someone to join your team and help in your business is so exciting! It can rev-up productivity and allow you to refocus on what truly lights you up. But if you hop on Facebook to ask for recommendations too soon, you may wind up with a hiring disaster that could leave you more overwhelmed.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed about adding someone to your team… the good news is that with a little prep work, you can lay a solid foundation for your business empire!  Here is a simple tip to help get the ball rolling so you can call in your perfect team member and get back to what lights you up in your business (while delegating the rest).

Do This FIRST… Before You Hire Anyone

Close your eyes and think back to when you first started your business. Remember that moment and all the thoughts and feelings you were having… Maybe you were thinking about location independence and family flexibility (like I was!) or maybe you were filled with excitement about never having to live in a corporate environment again.

Whatever you why was for venturing out on your own, I want you to take a moment and hold onto it…

That’s the essence of your company vibe!

It’s what makes you a rock star, and your biz the go-to solution for your loyal customers.

So when you think about hiring someone — whether it be for a few hours of email work or an entire online business strategy — it’s critical for you to have the core values of why you do what you do in the forefront of your mind.

Here’s one of my favorite ways to refocus on the heart and soul of my biz and be sure I’m hiring the right person…

First, pull out your favorite journal and get comfy (I like to grab some fun colored pens — because color makes everything more fun!) Then, start to journal about your team vibe and atmosphere. Think about what type of personal qualities you want your team members to have, how you run your day-to-day operations, how you communicate best, and what kinds of natural talents you want your team to have (like problem-solving and resourceful).

Then, start a running list of how you want to feel when working with your team. Get super specific and creative here!

Use that list to visualize your ideal new hire. Are they super prompt? Do they have creative ideas and let you stay in your techy zone (or vice versa)? Do they get all your woo-woo references (energy is everything in my world)!

Next, picture the work this person would be doing for you. It can be really easy to hire someone just to grab the extra work off your plate, but take this time to really think about what you want to focus on in your business.

Maybe you feel like you need help in the creative department because that’s what’s falling by the wayside… but in reality, you’re just spending all your time working on a sales funnel that’s totally draining you. You might actually be on the hunt for a tech person.

That’s why this exercise is so critical to do before hiring anyone…

Journal out things in your business that light you up. Think about what makes time move super fast, and what you could wake up to do day in, and day out, and never get bored! These tasks are the ones that energize you and make you feel more excited about your business when you’ve wrapped them up.

On the flip side, also journal or make a list of all the things that drain you. Think about what tasks you consistently put off and what tasks feel like they take forever to complete. These tasks are the ones that totally drain you and make you consider cleaning out the garage just in order to avoid them (hehehehe).

When you’re thinking about hiring, be sure to only delegate and hire for the tasks on your second list. That first one is your zone of genius, and it should be protected at all costs! When you’re in it you feel confident, excited, and ready to take on the world… just as you should!

Now you have your list, be sure to keep it handy during the interview process. As you start making connections, refer to it often while keeping your company and team vibe in mind.

After taking the time to do this process, you can hire confidently and ensure to preserve your companies vibe and culture. Plus you can remain in your zone of genius to make more business magic for years to come!