Going from a solo entrepreneur to an employer while expanding your business is an incredibly nerve-wracking time. Not only are you facing the recruitment process, perhaps for the very first time, but you’re entering what can potentially be a very costly and time consuming minefield if you get it wrong.
There’s new legislation to contend with, advertising the position, finding someone whose values are a good fit with the company and then on-boarding and probations. It definitely pays to know your stuff, but naturally recruitment often comes at an extremely busy time for you as well. Following these five steps will help to ensure that you stay on the right track and make the right hire for your business – the first time.
Understand Your Needs
In order to recruit the right person, who will fit in with the vision and values you have for the company, and help you to build something in the long term, you first need to have an accurate understanding of the real needs of your business. You must understand the role and it’s demands inside out to know what skill set and character would be a good fit.
Sometimes, you can be too close to the business yourself to be entirely objective. If you feel this is the case, try asking a mentor or an external human resource consultant for support in mapping out a job specification first. This will also help by ensuring whoever joins has clear goals and performance indicators in place, and eliminating any uncertainty.
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Amplify Your Vacancy
Although word of mouth is a great start, also make sure that your position is out there in the right networks. Job sites are great but they can leave you with hundreds of applications to sift through, so it can be a better choice to stick to ones which are industry specific to narrow the field. You can also try LinkedIn, which now boasts 350 million members, and you may find success posting about the role in groups as well as through the jobs boards.
Leverage the Interview Process
Interviewing is your chance to really assess a candidate in person, so make sure you get the most out of it. Good preparation is essential- know what you want to ask and why you are asking it. If you can, think about practical tasks you may want to set as part of the day- that will give a true measure of a candidates abilities under pressure.
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Get Perfect With Paperwork
Don’t make the huge error of not checking references- many employers have been caught out in this way. With a large percentage of people admitting to fabricating or beefing up their previous roles and experience, it’s essential to double check. You’ll also need a watertight contract of employment if you do go ahead. There are job contract templates online that you can adapt with specific details of the role, but it’s a good idea to have a HR or legal expert check over it before you get the candidate to sign.
Onboard Like A Pro
Introducing someone into your business is your chance to set expectations and help them settle in. Make sure you assess what training they will need and follow up, make some introductory appointments for them with key contacts and plan out a schedule for their first week. Before you know it, they’ll be up and running in their new role.
You should invest in your employees as they’re your most important asset.