EP. 312 Before You Hire Anyone, Listen To This Episode

If you’re thinking about hiring someone in your hands-on practice, I want you to get clear on what you’re expecting that person to solve.

Most business owners start thinking about hiring because they want relief. Maybe you’re tired of answering client questions, keeping up with your numbers, writing emails, or managing social media. You’re busy, and handing that responsibility to someone else sounds like the next logical move.

But there’s a version of hiring that grows your business, and there’s a version that drains your bank account while leaving you frustrated with the person you hired. The difference often comes down to what you’ve done as the business owner before you bring someone onto your team.

Before you hire anyone, you need to understand the job you’re handing over, define what success looks like, and create the standards that person will be expected to follow. The relief you’re looking for may come from hiring eventually, but first, there’s work that belongs to you.

---

Before You Hire Anyone, Do You Actually Have a Hiring Problem?

A task that feels burdensome does not automatically mean your business needs another person to handle it.

I recently heard from a practitioner who was busy enough that she wanted to hire a virtual assistant to answer questions from potential clients. Being that busy is a milestone. But if the job is primarily answering frequently asked questions, I’d look at the systems in the business before assuming a new hire is the answer.

Your website, Google listing, social media, and online booking system can answer many basic questions before someone ever contacts you. If potential clients repeatedly need information they should be able to find on their own, you may have a systems problem rather than a hiring problem. Fixing that system first can give you some of the relief you were hoping to get from adding another person to your business.

---

Why Can’t You Outsource a Job You Haven’t Mastered Yourself?

You cannot successfully hand off a job until you understand what needs to happen and can teach someone else how to do it.

Think about the questions potential clients ask: What is myofascial release? How is it different from massage? Will it help with my pain? Why don’t you take insurance? Why does it cost this much? These aren’t always simple questions. They can be part of a sales conversation that leads someone toward booking.

If you haven’t figured out how you want those conversations handled, a new hire cannot figure that out for you. You need to know how you explain your work, respond to objections, talk about price, and invite someone to book. Then you can give your team scripts, guidance, and a clear process instead of hiring someone and hoping they figure out how you want your business represented.

---

What Happens When You Hire for Relief Without Setting a Standard?

Hiring without clear expectations turns a staffing decision into a leadership problem when the business owner does not define or maintain the standard.

I’ve seen this with a therapist whose assistant was supposed to create weekly financial reports. At first, the reports were getting done. Then they stopped. An entire year went by without the reports being delivered, and neither the assistant nor the business owner addressed it. One missed report can be an assistant problem. A year of missed reports is a leadership problem.

When you hire someone, you still have to establish the rules, define the deliverables, create the process, and follow up. You are still the person at the head of the table asking, “Where’s that report?” Your team takes its cues from the standards you maintain, which means hiring someone does not remove your responsibility to lead the work.

---

What Do You Need to Have in Place Before You Hire Someone?

Before you hire someone, you need a clear role, defined expectations, and a process that shows them how you want the work done.

If you’re hiring someone to answer client questions, for example, write down the questions you hear most often and exactly how you want them answered. Give that person language for discussing your services, price, and booking. If you’re hiring someone to write emails or manage social media, get clear on your messaging, your voice, who your clients are, and what you want to communicate before you hand that work over.

This is the heavy lifting I want you to do as the business owner. You don’t need to perform every task forever, but you do need to create and understand the process first. Once you can hand someone a clear process with expectations, rules, and boundaries, you’re giving that person something they can actually execute.

---

How Do You Know When You’re Ready to Hire?

You’re ready to hire when you can clearly explain the role, define the outcome you expect, and give someone a process they can follow.

A good test is to choose the task you’ve been thinking about handing off and spend some focused time doing the heavy lifting yourself. If it’s client questions, write down the 10 questions you hear most and answer them in your own voice. If it’s your numbers, decide what you need to review, when you need to review it, and what those numbers should help you decide. Turn the task into a repeatable process.

Once you understand the work, you can decide whether you need a better system or another person. And if hiring is the right next move, you’ll have something concrete to hand that person and a standard you can continue to maintain. That’s what gives a new hire the opportunity to succeed and gives you the relief you were looking for in the first place.

---

Ready to Get Fully Booked?

Mark your calendar for November 9th through the 13th and join me for the Get Fully Booked Challenge.

For five days, we’ll work on how you run your hands-on business so you can keep your calendar booked, lead your clients with confidence, and make real money doing the work you love.

If you’re building a practice, getting ready to start one, or already booked and ready to build something stronger, get on my email list now. You’ll be the first to know when registration opens so you can grab your seat.

Sign up for my email list →

---

**This podcast is not medical advice and is not a substitute for consultation with an appropriate medical professional. We make no representations as to any physical, emotional, or mental health benefits that may be derived from listening to our podcast. Likewise, we do not make any representations or guarantees as to any possible income, business growth, additional clients, or any other earnings or growth benefits that may be derived from our podcast. Any testimonials, examples, or other results presented are the experiences of one client. We do not represent or guarantee you will achieve the same or similar results. You understand and agree you are solely responsible for any decisions you make from the information provided.**

The Fully Booked Therapist Podcast includes affiliate links in its show notes. This means we may earn a commission if you click on or make purchases via the links in our show notes.