In this episode of Welcome to Eloma, Kira La Forgia, Founder and People Operations Consultant of Paradigm, talks about the challenges of hiring, developing, and retaining top talent for small business owners. Kira emphasizes the importance of creating systems, processes, and productized deliverables to decentralize the owner from daily operations. It is important for small business owners to find information and advice that is relevant to their specific needs, as much of the existing content is not tailored to their situation. 

The episode covers topics such as hiring contractors vs. employees, building a culture, and developing psychological safety within the team. Kira discusses the importance of defining and maintaining a strong company culture. She emphasizes the need for clear expectations and consistent communication to create a sense of safety and stability within the team. Kira also highlights the significance of core behaviors in shaping team culture and suggests creating a culture guide to drive desired behaviors. 

Kira explores the concept of the return on investment (ROI) of hiring and how it can be measured in terms of time and money. Kira shares insights on how to improve margins and optimize team productivity through strategic HR practices. Lastly, she encourages small business owners to understand the difference between employees and contractors to avoid misclassification penalties.

Quotes

• “I think that it's really important that we use ourselves as a filter, but also to make sure that we're okay with making some mistakes along the way. You want to make sure your team understands that that's the nature of small business. It gives a lot of freedom to what we're doing.” 8:04
• “The delivery of what those candidates are going to bring to you, are going to have a much higher instance of requirement for success. Meaning that if you're hiring your very first person, now they're 50% of your business. Don't skip over the strategic HR because you're too small. Understand the weight that person is about to bring to your business.” 12:10
• “When you find a really valuable piece of talent or person with talent that you bring onto your team it's not your job to control them, but it is your job to create a space in which they can thrive.” 21:07

Links and follow-ups:

Connect with Kira La Forgia:

Websites: https://www.the-paradigm.com    

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiralaforgia/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theparadigmm/

Email: kira@the-paradigm.com

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