Need a new employee and it’s your first time hiring …

As a business owner, one of the most important decisions you will ever have to make is when hiring your first employee. If you’ve been running the business by yourself for some time, handing over responsibilities to another party can be hard to get your head around, However, the benefits offered by finding the right individual to join your venture can far out-weigh the negatives.

Once you have reached the decision to take on a new employee, you need to isolate the skills and attributes you will need in this person. This provides you with a great opportunity to take a step back and re-evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your business. Identify the areas of the business in which you are most competent and most enjoy being personally involved, and conversely those areas you feel you need assistance with, or would like someone else to deal with. This exercise will help identify the type of role you are trying to fill, and the skills you will be looking for in your new staff member.

Now you are ready to embark on the recruitment process. Whether you decide to do this yourself, or enlist the services of a professional recruitment company such as ICG Recruitment, is up to you, and will depend on how much time you can spare, and how confident you are in your abilities to find the right person.

Think about how much you can afford to pay an employee. You obviously can’t pay them money you don’t have, but to a certain degree you will always get what you pay for. Thus, the more experience and qualifications you are looking for, the more money you will have to be prepared to part with in wages and/or commissions. Don’t forget the fit is just as important as their skills and making sure their attitude fits your culture.

Remember-you can never be too careful when inviting someone into your business. Whether you do it yourself, or contract out the recruitment process, make sure to be thorough in all aspects.

Check all references and keep in mind that making the wrong decision could cost your business a significant amount of money.

Best of luck - Nikki