Hiring Your First Employee? Here Are 7 Things You Need To Consider

If you’re planning on hiring your first employee but don’t know where to begin here are some tips to ensure you make the right hire. Whether you’re just starting out or you have been running your business successfully for years, hiring your first-ever team member is a big step to take.

While it may be overwhelming at first, there are lots of questions you can ask yourself to help make the process as simple as it can be. From deciding on the role you’re hiring for to thinking of the skills the ideal candidate may need, the more questions you’re asking the better.

With that in mind, here are 7 things you need to consider when hiring your first employee:

7 things to consider when hiring your first employee

What role are you hiring for?

One of the first things you need to determine before hiring your first employee is the role you’re hiring for. Although to some this will be an obvious role, others may have to think about it in more detail. If you need assistance, the best thing to do is write down all of the things you would like your new hire to do within the business.

Perhaps they may not all fit under one umbrella—but it is a great way to see what they’re going to be doing for the majority of their time with you. Once you have created this list, it can also be used as a job description. Here is a guide to writing a job description.

What skills do they need to have?

Once you have written down all the tasks they are expected to be doing, you need to think about the skills they need to have. In most cases, there will be some essential skills they need as well as some desirable ones. You don’t want to have to train them in every aspect of the job, but a small amount of training and self-learning won’t hurt.

When listing the skills they must have, remember they must match the tasks they will handle on a daily basis.

Are they going to be full-time or part-time?

Based on your budget, you need to think about whether or not your employee is going to be full-time or part-time. If you’re hiring your first employee, chances are you may not need them to work full-time hours right away. If that’s the case, you need to be sure you’re making it clear.

How soon do you need them to start?

Another important thing to consider is how soon you would like them to start. Whether you’re looking for someone to start work right away or you need a little bit of time to prepare, this is something you need to decide before you start advertising the position. It’s important to note that most people need to give at least one month’s notice in their current role, sometimes more.

What is your recruitment process going to be like?

Although the recruitment process is similar for most people, be sure you’re clear on your own recruitment process before you start advertising the position.

Some things you may want to consider include:

• Where will you be advertising the position?
• How long will you leave the position up before you start contacting applicants?
• Will you be conducting a telephone interview?
• Will you start with a group interview?
• What questions do you need to ask?
• Will there be a second interview?
• Do you need to use an automated template for the interview?
• How will you contact everyone to let them know the outcome?

Here is a guide to the standard recruitment process.

How will you know you have found the right candidate?

When you’re going through the recruitment process it is important you know exactly how you’re going to find the right candidate for the role. Whether this is someone that has all of the required experience or they stood out to you throughout the whole process, you need to be sure you’re hiring the right person for the job.

Are they going to be working on a temporary basis?

Finally, decide whether or not you want them to work on a temporary basis, to begin with. Although this isn’t really necessary, it’s a great way for both of you to get a feel for the role. Putting them on probation also gives them a chance to decide whether or not the job is for them, as it works both ways.

With lots of important questions to be asking yourself, you can be sure you’re as prepared as you can be when it comes to hiring your first employee.

What else do you need to consider?

Do share your thoughts and ideas in the comments.