This is the first post in the 5-part Growing Your Team series.
Click here to read Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.

I often hear people talk about growing a team as one "thing" that you do in your business.

They write it down as one goal at the beginning of the year or even jot it down on their weekly to-do list.

Which is why I think that business owners often feel so overwhelmed when it comes time to actually hire their first employee and grow their team.

Suddenly, they realize that it's more than just "one thing" to do and it starts to feel like a big, daunting, single leap into the unknown. 

And when something feels that big and we don't have a good plan in place, we have a tendency to avoid it.

Which is why so many put off hiring the help they truly need and deserve for far too long.

Maybe you're nodding your head along because you're there right now – or you've been there before.

I fully believe that growing and leading a team is one of the most exciting, rewarding, and fulfilling experiences we can have in our business journeys.

But we have to get started in order to go on this adventure.

Now, you might be thinking, "Well how many steps are there? And where do I start?"

If so, you're not alone! This is the #1 question I get on a weekly basis. Which is why I decided to share my signature 4-phase process with you!

Before I share these 4 phases, let me preface this with: there are many steps within each phase. These are just the four primary categories that all the steps fall into.

Okay, are you ready? Let's get started!

The 4 Phases Of Growing A Team:

1. Planning

Planning usually isn't the most exciting step in any project – but it's the step that will save you the most time, frustration, and headaches! In this first phase, you start to explore what hiring help will mean for you and your business, what the cost will be to your business (and the benefits you'll receive in return!), as well as all the logistics behind the hiring process.

Key questions to consider during this phase:

• Am I ready to hire?

• Who should I hire first?

• Can I afford to hire?

• What steps should I take?

2. Hiring

During the second phase, you'll begin putting your plan into action – posting your job, interviewing candidates, and extending an offer. This will be the most time-consuming and labor-intensive phase – but this is also where the magic happens. Remember to slow down, take your time, and be thorough in your process and I promise it will pay off in spades!

Key questions to consider during this phase:

• What is my plan and timeline?

• What do I need to know that I don't?

• Is a job description really that important?

• How do I make sure to hire the right person?

3. Onboarding

Once you've hired your dreamiest team member ever, it's time to get them started and make sure they are around for the long haul! Did you know that 1 in 4 new hires quit within their first 90 days? I know, shocking. But the good news is that you control this! Hiring is an

investment. Onboarding is the key to getting the best return on that investment possible.

Key questions to consider during this phase:

• Why do 1 in 4 employees quit in their first 90 days?

• How can I make sure that doesn't happen to me?

• How long does onboarding last?

• What should happen during onboarding?

4. Leading

This final phase is the one that lasts the longest (as long as you've executed the 3 previous phases well!). Leadership is a journey, not a destination. There will always be something new to learn and ways that we can grow as leaders. I've been in leadership roles for almost 20 years now and I still learn new things all the time! Embrace the journey with all its forehead-slapping moments and hard lessons learned – along with the beauty of being able to nurture, support, and help others learn, grow, and do meaningful work in this world!

Key questions to consider during this phase:

• Is it possible to build a team I can trust?

• I'm worried about delegating – what should I know?

• How do I develop a strong company culture?

• How do I share tough feedback with my team?

Stay Tuned

Over the coming weeks, I'm going to be sharing more in-depth information and resources with you for each of these four phases. In the next post in this series, we'll be exploring the Planning Phase of Growing Your Team!

Authored by Ashley Cox, PHR, SHRM-CP