Why Hiring a Director of Operations Should be a Priority for Your Organization

A Director of Operations is a professional that handles the back-end of the business and play a central role in human resource management. They oversee the business operations that help the business make money. In many small businesses, this role is filled by the business owner or CEO. However, there are benefits to bringing in a Director of Operations. Let’s learn why hiring a Director of Operations should be a priority for your organization and how you can find the right one for your business.

It Reduces the Drama for the Business Owner

A Director of Operations handles human resources in small and mid-sized businesses. They’ll hire employees and contractors, and they’ll fire people when required as well. They’ll set up teams and manage projects.

This frees up the business owner to focus on landing new contracts or develop the next generation of the flagship product instead of handling the accounting and supply chain problems. That makes the operations director a key partner for the company founder or owner, and this is why you need the right person for the job. But how do you find a good Director of Operations?

One solution is to work with an HR personnel executive placement service. An executive recruitment company will specialize in finding high-level talent, while you retain final decision-making authority. The placement service will screen people based on the criteria you set such as industry experience or knowledge in scaling up startups.

Another possibility is hiring someone at the manager level and asking them to take on director-level tasks. Unfortunately, many managers who do well hiring and managing a single team will struggle setting up systems for hiring, training and managing people across the organization. Another option is networking, but you have to have a good list of requirements to check against rather than hiring someone based on reputation.

It Results in Formal, Standard Processes

Efficiency in any business is improved when you have standard operating procedures. The Director of Operations is the creator, holder and upholder of these SOP. They will also ensure that new hires are trained in company approved procedures. This speeds up the learning curve for new employees and reduces variability in business processes that can lead to defects and mistakes.

And if nothing else, being able to hand off day to day operations to someone else means you’re not spending evenings and weekends on paperwork, financial reports and marketing plans. You’ll know that the financial reports are done regularly and are accurate. You’ll know that hiring, firing and performance management is done in accordance with the law. You’ll have someone familiar with how the business should operate, overseeing all of the other departments in your firm.

It Allows You to Grow the Business

For many small business owners, you hit a certain limit when you’re trying to do everything on your own. You can only do so much by hiring a virtual assistant or accountant. Hiring a Director of Operations allows you to hand off accounting, Human Resources, and logistics to someone else.

That frees you up to focus on your vision for the company. The Director of Operations can help you craft one, and they’re responsible for implementing it. This means you don’t have to be afraid to scale up because you aren’t doing all the work.

Small business owners can only go so far before they need additional team members in the C-suite. Bring in a Director of Operations when you need help to manage your team or take your business to the next level.