Growing Your Team: Hiring and Onboarding Tactics for Entrepreneurs

Ready to grow your team? Learn when to hire, who to hire, and how to get it right—without costly mistakes.

Hiring your next employee shouldn’t feel like a gamble.

As an entrepreneur, you’ve built your business from the ground up — but when it comes to hiring, it can feel like stepping into unfamiliar territory. You didn’t start your business to become an HR expert… yet making the right hire is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make for your growth.

And the stakes are real: the wrong hire costs time, money, and momentum.

So how do you get it right?

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering:

• How do I know when to hire?
• When should I hire an independent contractor vs. an employee?
• Where should I look for employees?
• How much should I pay, and should my job postings include wages, particularly if we can’t afford to pay a lot to start?
• What interview questions should I ask? Which questions can I NOT ask?
• Should I run a background check and get references?
• Do I need an offer letter or job description?
• Should I pay them by the hour or by salary?
• How do I make sure they get onboarded and trained properly? There are so many forms!
• Do I need an employee handbook?

You’re not alone — and you don’t have to figure it out on your own.

What You’ll Gain

In this practical, no-fluff MWF workshop, HR expert Lisa Cooper of Cooper People Group will break down what entrepreneurs actually need to know to hire with confidence — without overcomplicating the process or blowing your budget.

You’ll learn how to build a smart, scalable hiring and onboarding process that works for your business right now — and grows with you.

Key Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, you will:

• Understand the state of employment in our region today
• Explore recruitment process best practices
• Identify your company's recruitment process and tools
• Uncover interviewing and onboarding best practices
• Receive recruitment toolbox for immediate application

Why Attend?

Because guessing your way through hiring is expensive.

This 2-hour MWF workshop is designed to give you clarity, confidence, and actionable tools — so you can stop second-guessing and start building the team your business needs to grow.

Walk Away With:

✔ A clear hiring roadmap
✔ Tools and templates you can use right away
✔ Confidence in your hiring decisions
✔ A stronger foundation for scaling your business

Your next great hire is out there — let’s make sure you’re ready to find them.

Meet the Speaker

Lisa Cooper is the Founder & Chief People Officer of Cooper People Group, where she leads innovative HR strategies for organizations with no HR, transitioning HR, or HR stretched too thin. Over the past four years, she and her team have partnered with more than 200 organizations across the Midwest to strengthen their people, culture, and performance.

With 20+ years of strategic HR leadership, Lisa is a sought-after speaker, a Laker for Life (Go GVSU!), and holds SHRM-CP, PHR, and Predictive Index certifications. She serves as Vice President and Governance Chair for North Kent Connect, sits on the First Merchants Bank Advisory Board, and contributes to the YWCA HR Committee, Family Business Alliance Governance Committee, the West Michigan Welcome Plan Collaborative, and its Maximize Economic Potential Workgroup. Lisa is also a mentor with the Women’s Entrepreneurial Fellowship. Recognized as one of Crain’s Notable Leaders in HR and a MISHRM award finalist, she remains active in Leadership Grand Rapids, Vistage, SBAM, the Economic Club, and Michigan Women Forward’s Power of 100 Women.