Starting a business is a huge move to make, and you want everything to go according to plan. One of the first things that you need to do is hire your first batch of employees. These are the people that will help to push the business forward, so it’s a vital step.
But if you’ve never hired people before, it can be daunting. There are lots of things to remember. So, follow this guide to make sure you make no major mistakes along the way:
Define the Job Roles.
The very first thing you need to do is define exactly what the role or roles you want to fill are. This might not be quite as easy as it sounds. For a start, you will need to decide how many people you need to hire in your startup. You don’t want to hire too many to begin with because you might not be able to cope with the financial burden. But, at the same time, you don’t want your new business to be understaffed as it begins to grow and expand. This could lead to it not being able to complete all the necessary work that needs to be done to expand. When you know how many people you want to hire, you should write a detailed description of each job role.
Create a Plan of Action.
When you have written the job descriptions, you should think about how you’re going to approach the process. There are many different recruitment methods to consider. Is it something that you’re going to do alone? Or is there a small group of you will be judging the candidates. The latter is usually the better option because it allows different people to offer differing perspectives. If you undertake the hiring process by yourself, you won’t be able to consider any other views other than your own, and this might be a problem. But whichever route you decide to make, make sure that you have planned it out before you start to consider candidates.
Set a List of Requirements.
For each role that you’re looking to fill, you should be aware of exactly what you’re looking for in a candidate. Unless you have a solid and comprehensive list of requirements at hand, you won’t be able to judge the candidate adequately. You should compile a list of things that will help the individual do their jobs properly. Sometimes, this means picking desirable attributes that are out of the ordinary. No two businesses are the same as one another. You should think about the personal attributes that candidates have too. You don’t just want people with skills. You probably want them to have the right personality too.
Post the Advert in Detail.
When it comes to posting your advert on online jobs websites, you need to offer as much detail as possible. One mistake that a lot of employers make when they post job adverts is that they are too vague. This then leads to a huge amount of people applying for the job. And most of them are not suitable for the job, simply because you failed to be specific enough. That creates extra work for you, so nobody wins. To save everyone wasting their time, you should be as precise as possible when preparing the advert. Make sure you lay out exactly what you will require from the person and what qualifications they’ll need.
Pick Out the Best Applications.
After the deadlines for applications has passed, it’s your job to wade through all the applications and choose which one of them is best. This is a big task, and it can take a long time, so be aware of this before you start. You should not read through the applications too quickly though. You don’t want to pass over one and miss what could be the ideal candidate for the role you’re looking to fill. Eventually, you will start to recognise which ones are the best applications. Compile a long list of people who you want to interview, and then move onto the next phase of the process.
Hold the Interviews.
The time has now come to interview the people who you think showed some potential with their job applications. The interview process is one of the most important that there is, so it’s important to get it right. You don’t want to make it too intimidating for the candidates because that will not allow you to get to know what they have to offer. But, at the same time, you do want to ask the kinds of penetrating questions that will give you an insight into their character. It’s all about getting that balance right. Be sure to prepare your questions well in advance of the interview.
Consider a Second Phase of Interviews.
It can be pretty hard to accurately judge the candidates you interviewed after just one short meeting. And that’s why it’s always a good idea to consider a second phase of interviews. This allows you to cut your long list down to a shortlist by rejecting the candidates who failed to impress. You can then invite back the people that you think are still in with a shot at the job they applied for. When you interview them for a second time, you will be able to ask them some different questions and delve a little deeper. This should then help you to choose which candidate is right for the job.
Check Their References.
When you have narrowed down the candidates to the people that you’re sure you want to hire, you need to check their references. Don’t make the common mistake of hiring people without checking their background. You don’t want to find out that they lied about their employment history when it’s already too late for you to do anything about it. It only takes ten minutes to contact the referees that the candidates noted down when they originally applied for the job. So it surely makes sense to phone them up or fire off an email just to check that everything is as it should be.
Offer the Best Candidates the Job.
We’re now reaching the very end of the process, and that means it’s time to offer people the job. This is the best part of the process, but it’s not without its problems. When you called back candidates for their second interview, you should have checked that they still definitely want the job. This stops you from offering someone the job and being rejected. So, make sure that the person who you want to hire wants the job before you reject the other candidates. You might have to offer your second or third option the job if your first choice is no longer available or has changed their mind.
Get Them Started in Their New Role.
When you have finally hired the people that you see as perfect for the roles you were looking to fill, you need to get straight to work. This means getting them started in their new roles and giving them the help and guidance that they will initially need. Some new employees fall into place straight away and don’t need much help at all. But others will take a little longer to get into the swing of things. And that’s when you have to be there to be patient and guide them on the right path. This is beneficial for you in the long-term because it will help them become productive and successful in their role more quickly.
