Employees don’t want to do certain tasks?

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Some small businesses require certain tasks to be performed that existing and potential employees may look down upon.

This situation can come about because of the industry the small business operates in, or because there are specific tasks within the business that nobody wants to do. The challenge for small business owners is figuring out how to address this as those tasks still need to be performed, regardless of how menial or unglamorous, they are.

The path of least resistance for small business owners is to simply do it themselves. This strategy works if the business is small and there is not much to be done; but as the business expands, this becomes unsustainable as the small business owner needs to prioritize strategic activities (e.g. planning, business development), and delegate other tasks.

The other alternative is for small business owners to be assertive and compel existing employees to take on certain jobs they may not want to perform. The advantage of this approach is that it makes full use of the business’ existing human resources without incurring significant additional expense. The downside is that employees may become resentful of the additional workload which they may see as a demotion or as something they did not sign up for.

Another option is for small business owners to simply hire someone else to do the tasks that no one else wants to do. This can be a temporary or part-time resource like a student, or someone who regards the opportunity as a last resort or stop-gap measure while waiting for something better. This does not have to be an expensive option as the more mundane and less complex the work that must be done, generally the lower the pay.

Small business owners should bear in mind however that they should not necessarily be dismissive of people in lower level jobs. Some of them may be very competent and gifted individuals who have been forced by circumstances to take on jobs for which they are over-qualified. Showing them some kindness and attention could yield some good surprises, giving the small business owner a chance to discover new talent to strengthen his or her workforce.

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