After managing everything in your small business yourself, you’re finally ready to hire your first employee. Congratulations; it’s a major milestone on your way to growing your business.
This post will provide you with tips and resources to make sure you hire the smartest person out there and provide them with a reason to stay with your company long-term.
Determining Your Needs
Do you need to hire a full-time employee? You may assume that’s your only option, but if you have fewer than 40 hours a week of work you need done, also consider:
- Intern
- Freelancer
- Outsourced agency
- Part-timer
If you have administration work you need help with, you’ll be better off by hiring. But if you need design or marketing help, a freelancer or agency might be ideal. And interns are always great because they’re affordable and easily trainable for simple tasks.
Here are some articles that can help you decide what you need:
- Hiring Freelance Workers in Your Business
- Which jobs are a good fit for freelancers vs. full-timers
- Note These Legal Issues Before Hiring Freelancers
Start the Search
There are a few ways to find your first employee:
- Tap your existing network
- Post to a job board
- Work with a recruiter
Job boards tend to send a deluge of applications your way, and you might not have time to sift through them all. Ask your colleagues and friends if they know anyone who fits your needs, or work with a recruiter who’s connected to the most talented professionals in your industry.
Before you do that, though, make sure your job description aptly covers what it is you’re looking for. Really spend time on this, because you don’t want to overwhelm your new hire by continuing to add to her list of responsibilities after she’s started working for you.
More resources:
- Top 8 Frightening Things About Hiring On Your Own
- Help Wanted — on Writing Job Descriptions
- The Best Hiring Practices for Employers Searching for A-1 Employees
Nail the Interview & Hiring Processes
When you narrow down your list of possibilities, you want to ask really insightful questions that will help you determine — in a short period of time — which of your job candidates will be the best fit for the role in those job interviews.
You also should do your homework about the going rate for similar positions so that you’re competitive in the salary you offer. And don’t forget those extra perks, like flexible work options, health insurance, and maternity leave. You want the candidate you select to want more than anything to work for your company.
This should help:
- EMPLOYERS – The 10 Best Interview Questions to Ask
- Before You Make a Job Offer, Consider…
- ObamaCare Small Business Facts
Manage Training & Retention
Now that you’ve got your first hire on board at your company, set her up for success by creating a thorough training program. You’ll probably wing it as you go, but document what you do so you have the process established for your next hire.
Give her time to ramp up on everything there is to learn about your business, and encourage her to ask plenty of questions. Because she’s essentially #2 at your company, it’ll be imperative that she thoroughly understands all aspects of your company.
Unfortunately, now that you’ve made your first hire, you now have to worry about employee turnover. You’ve invested time and money in this individual, so you have to ensure that she stays happy working for you. Make sure you continually offer her a rich environment to grow and develop her own professional skills, and increase her pay over time.
Read these:
