Star Search: How to find good employees

In the April/May issue of MyBusiness, I wrote about an issue that is central to running a successful small business: finding (and keeping) good employees. Included in the article are some great lessons—learned, unfortunately, firsthand by the three small business owners featured in the story.

But sometimes lessons learned aren't so bad, especially when hiring, according to USA Today's entrepreneurial columnist Gladys Edumunds:

"Realize that you are going to make mistakes hiring people. However, each wrong hire will draw you closer to the right one. When you hire the wrong person, take time to evaluate what you did or did not ask or do and use that evaluation to help you get closer to making the right hire. Experience is a good teacher, and as your hiring skills evolve you will be better able to identify quality job candidates as well as those who simply do not possess the ability to succeed."

Sure, it'd be nice to get it right from the very beginning, but if you don't, just chalk it up as required learning.