Are you looking to expand your business and grow your team? Do you need to recruit your first employee and not sure where to start?
This should be an exciting time for any business owner but for many it can be extremely daunting. So where do you begin in your quest to find the perfect first employee?
WHAT WOULD YOUR IDEAL EMPLOYEE BE LIKE?
A starting point would be to think about what your ideal employee would be like. What skills and experience should they have? What type of working style should they demonstrate? What hours will you need them to work? Can they work remotely?
HOW MUCH CAN YOU AFFORD TO PAY?
Once you have figured out the desired skill set, work out what your business can afford to pay.
Look at your cash flow and forecasts to determine a suitable wage that works for both of you. Be realistic with your calculations.
THE IMPORTANCE OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS
It is important that you think about creating a comprehensive job description covering all essential elements of your new role.A well-written job description will establish a solid set of expectations for employers to communicate to their employees. It also helps employers to evaluate employee performance.
ADVERTISING YOUR VACANCY
The next step is to advertise your vacancy. There is a lot of competition out there currently so your advert should really stand out to potential candidates. Make sure that it is well formatted, clear, and concise with interesting and relevant content. With so many job boards and platforms out there it’s difficult to know where to start. It may be beneficial to do some research to establish which one would work best for you and give you the best return on your investment.
THE INTERVIEW PROCESS: DO'S & DON'TS
Once your advert starts to generate applications, it's time for screening, reviewing, and selecting the most appropriate candidates for interview. It is important to remember that every applicant could be a potential customer for your business. They will have taken time with their application therefore letting them know an outcome (whether successful or not) is key.
Interviewing candidates is very much a two-way process. It is not only your opportunity to get to know each applicant but also for the interviewee to get to know you and find out more about the role and your business. Consequently, it is crucial that you are as transparent as possible.
A top tip is to have a list of prepared questions in advance to really get the best out of your candidate. Make sure that you ask each candidate the same questions to ensure consistency and make notes throughout the interview that you can refer to if needed.
EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS
Finally, once you have your ideal candidate, you need to make your offer of employment.
Once all terms have been agreed, the essential part is to provide the employee with a contract. A contract of employment is a legally binding agreement between an employer and employee and is essential for any business.
Longwood Business Support pride themselves in the fact that we support business owners in attracting, sourcing, engaging, and onboarding the right talent for their business. We make recruitment an efficient, well-structured process that saves you hours (if not days) of time. We do not operate like expensive recruitment agencies because, rather than taking a percentage of a candidate's'' salary, we simply charge by the hour.
If you would like a no obligation chat, we offer a free 30-minute consultation. Email us at info@lwbs.co.uk