Follow These 3 Steps When Hiring Your First Employees

Congratulations – your small business has reached the point that it’s gone from side-hustle to self-employed, to ready to hire on your first round of employees. That’s a lot to be proud of. However, hiring your first employees comes with its own particular set of challenges that you should be aware of before you pull the trigger.

In today’s post, we’ll cover three basic steps that every first-time hiring small business should go through to ensure the process is smooth, effective, and beneficial to your business in the long run. Check them out, then proceed to hire your employees with confidence!

Describe job listings carefully

First, you need to decide on what exactly the set of responsibilities you intend for your new hires to have is. Too many first-time hiring small business owners make the mistake of simply needing extra help, then wanting someone to join and do an ambiguous and random set of tasks for them. This goes wrong in two crucial ways.

First, the tasks are unlikely to get done correctly, as nobody has a specialty in everything you throw them at. Second, your employee will become frustrated, as they won’t have any clear idea of what they should be doing. 

Making your job descriptions clear, succinct, and well-written will eliminate that concern. As you sit down to write out each job description, be sure to include this information:

• Job title: What is the official name for the new hire’s position in your small organization?
• Job responsibilities: What is the exact set of things that the employee can expect to do on a day-to-day basis? What are they responsible for at your company? Make it clear.
• Pay and benefits: Everyone wants to know what they will be compensated for their efforts. Don’t lose potential applicants because you haven’t clearly listed this.
• Paystubs are excellent for keeping track of your employees’ pay since they contain all the required and necessary information. A paystub provides thorough records regarding your employee payments, perks, reimbursements. Hence, generating paystubs can help you keep track of everything.  
• Growth opportunities: Do you see your company growing in the near future? How will the new employee’s position factor into that growth? State how they can grow with your company in your listing. 

Design a clear hiring process

In many ways, the hiring process itself is almost as important as the job description. People applying to your organization will want to know what steps they have to go through to be thoroughly considered for the job. This gives them time to prepare for any interview you may require. Here is an example of a hiring process you could include in your job listing:

Hiring process:

• Email your resume and a one-page cover letter to [insert your email here]
• If selected, the applicant will complete a preliminary phone screening
• If the phone screening goes well, you will be invited for an in-person interview at the office: [insert your address here]
• Once the interview process is complete, if you are selected for the position, you will undergo a criminal background check prior to completing the hiring process

The last item on this list is especially important. A criminal background check and an MVR check are essential for those who want to protect their small business. What is an MVR check? It will let you know whether they’ve had any vehicle-related suspicious activity, like a DUI. This is critical for small business owners who will require employees to drive company-owned cars for deliveries or client meetings. 

Advertise your listings

Lastly, it’s smart to widely advertise your listings to attract the largest possible pool of applicants. As a smaller business, you’re unlikely to have the name recognition that automatically ensures a healthy number of applicants when you are hiring your first employees. Finding eager talent may be hard work at first. 

That makes advertising on all available channels a priority. Create accounts and post your open position on job listing sites, making sure you use relevant and high-volume keywords, so job seekers are more likely to find your listings. Include your job description and hiring process in the listing, so candidates can easily decide whether they would be a good fit for your job or not. And, be sure to include clear contact information, that way anyone with questions about the position can reach out and find out more before they apply. 

Hiring your first employees is thrilling. With the right precautions and care, your small business can continue to grow steadily with your new employees by your side.  

Featured Photo by Emma Dau on Unsplash