Every business looks to grow and many of us start as a one-person show. This means that at some point you are going to become stretched as you try to take on everything, and no-one can be equally skilled in all areas, so why not get some help where you need it?
![Hiring your 1st employee - some tips - image is an interview of a female candidate]()
Make Your Advert Clear
Make Your Advert ClearIt’s essential to know what type of person you need and therefore to make this clear in your advert is key. You should list specific skills that will be required as well as the experience you look for the winning candidate to have. It’s also good to not waste your time or the applicants by listing any qualifications or licenses that are mandatory, if you need a driving license then let them know, if they need a minimum of a bachelors degree, again, let them know.
Know How to Skim Applications
In some industries and for some types of jobs you could receive hundreds of applications for a single position, and many of these will be completely unsuitable for the position. Nobody has the time to read through all these so skimming applications and resumes is a skill you should develop. A cover letter helps here, many employers disregard those without.
Have Legally Tight Contracts
Make sure your employment contracts are legally sound and comply with all relevant legislation. Also, you will want to be sure it doesn’t leave you exposed and offers something you didn’t intend. It will pay in the long run to have a competent employment lawyer draw these up.
Give a Trial Period
Even the most impressive candidate may not turn out to be what they seemed or even might just not be a good fit. For this reason, offering a trial period can help both you and them figure out if the job is going to work for both of you. It is common to have a 3 month period of evaluation where either party can cancel the agreement at shorter notice than the usual period. At the end of this time, the contract can either be made permanent or a further trial can be implemented.
Use Your Network
Sometimes advertising the post is not the most effective way of getting the right person in for the job. You will, no doubt, have several industry contacts and it may be useful to ask around and see if anyone knows of someone who might be looking for work. This way you know you will get a reference you can trust.
Consider Outsourcing
Do you really need an employee? We don’t mean you don’t need help but there are other ways of not doing it all yourself than hiring. Why not outsource? You possibly already do this, if you hire an accountant, you are essentially outsourcing a large portion of your financial admin. You can do this in many other ways, remote PA and phone answering services, subcontracting labor in construction are just two examples.