, a series containing expert advice to help small business owners tackle a range of hiring challenges.Google Donna Harris, her new business mentor, before their first meeting. Most of Mathis' past mentors had been men, and she wanted to enter this relationship with an open mind, she said.
Through the mentorship relationship, Mathis identified her values and mission, and enshrined those in her company culture. The exercise helped her be more intentional in writing a job description, which ultimately drew more candidates for a needed role, and map out a future for her business based on her goals. Donna Harris, founder and CEO of Builders and Backers mentored Mathis on scaling and retention.
It was important to have these conversations at the beginning of their relationship because, without that understanding, Harris' advice might not have aligned with Mathis' intended outcome, the two agreed. Additionally, Harris helped Mathis with her employee retention by strengthening her company's culture.
"As a small-business owner, your personal values and your business values are an overlapping Venn diagram," Harris said."Put your values down on a piece of paper and think about how those turn into specific behaviors."
IndeedBusiness