09 Jul great help is worth investing in

Today, I attended a small-business luncheon led by my friends Nolan and Jaime Hong of Pop Creative Media. The discussion was actually the brain child of one of their friends Ryan Hew. Our conversation centered around one of the most complex components of small business ownership… hiring staff.

It was really fun to hear from other small business owners who have gone through some of the growing and shrinking pains of hiring and firing staff. One of the things I was fascinated by was the question development others go through in preparation for job interviewees.

Because the video production industry is heavily reliant on creative specialists, the talent pool often prefers to freelance their skills rather than seek employment from a single business. This typically means that video production companies have a much different screening process than other industries. If I’m looking to bring on a specialist just for a single day, my number one priority is that he/she can do the job required. Whether they’re a production assistant or a line producer, if they can do their task well, they’re a good candidate for the contract.

On the other hand, when looking for someone to bring onto my team long term, skillset is generally secondary to character. I can teach hungry, and talented people to do a creative task well, but I can’t teach a super talented jerk to be nicer. Thankfully I haven’t had to do that. When you do find team members who fit both the skillset and the character prerequisites, it’s important to invest in them. Invest in their training, invest in their tools, invest in their families because they are investing in you.

I am super stoked that my team is interested in building amazing projects and even more important, building an amazing business family. Berad Studio wouldn’t be where it is today without the support and skills of my team!