If you’ve been working for and by yourself for a long time, you might be understandably both reluctant and nervous about hiring your first employee. You know you need to if you want the business to grow, but it is a big step, and you’ll want to know you’re doing the right thing. If this is how you feel, keep reading to get a good idea of what you need to know and understand before you take this step and change your business (hopefully for the better) forever. 

What Will It Cost?

The most fundamental question you will need to ask yourself when you are thinking of making your first hire is what it is going to cost you. To start with, how much are you going to pay them? Take a look around at what other businesses are paying for similar roles. Can you match it? Exceed it? If not, you may not be ready to hire someone, or you may need to understand that the person you do hire won’t have the experience that someone else might, and therefore they will expect a lower salary. It is going to be a compromise. 

Remember also it’s not just the salary itself that you have to pay. You’ll need to pay taxes too, so add this on top of the salary, plus any benefits and perks you offer, such as a vehicle. If you can’t afford to hire someone, what about using freelancers until you can? Otherwise, you might have to scale back, which would be a shame. 

What Does The Resume Mean?

If you run your own business, then it is unlikely you will have written a resume for a long time; perhaps you have never written one. Yet when you ask for applicants for a job, you’ll be sent lots of resumes to read through. If you don’t know what you’re looking for and how they should be set out or what should be included, how will you know who the best candidates are? 

The best thing to do is to go online and look at the examples there. This will help you to see who has sent in a good resume and who has not taken the time they should have. The cover letter is also crucial as although the resume will have all the useful facts and figures, the cover letter shows personality, and the two combined will give you a fuller picture. 

The Interview 

Just as the potential employee is going to be nervous in their interview, you might be too, especially if you have never done it before. This is why it is vital that you prepare in advance. You should know exactly what questions you want to ask and tailor them to each individual. Have some generic questions that you can ask everyone, and then have some that are specific to the person sitting across from you. This shows that you have taken the time to read their resumes, and it will give you a better insight into how they think and act. 

You will need to be confident throughout the interview and give a good impression of the company. Even if you think you have found the ideal applicant, if they don’t feel comfortable with you or the work you do, they might decline the job if it is offered to them. 

Consider Social Media 

Social media networking offers a lot of benefits. You may even go beyond the boundaries of your workplace space by forming an online community with like-minded people.

Furthermore, social media recruitment enables you to converse with any prospective prospects in a two-way manner. You might not be able to contact your next employee directly, but you could have the opportunity to talk with someone who knows someone who might be a good match.

Giving a peek of your company culture via pictures and videos of day-to-day office life will provide a unique insight into how your firm operates. The more appealing and genuine it seems, the more likely you are to attract great personnel.

Get Help

Recruiting new workers can be an expensive and time-consuming process for businesses, requiring considerable resources yet seldom providing any assurances. Employers clearly understand the importance of elite talent – those are the people who can propel their company ahead and increase profits. When it comes to maintaining a constant flow of talent into the company and hiring people who are suited to the position and the culture of the organization, human resources departments confront a difficult challenge. This becomes much more challenging in a thriving employment market, where companies compete for the most talented and experienced employees.

In many instances, businesses need specialized assistance with their recruiting strategy. Using a recruiting firm to discover and attract people, as well as negotiate terms, can alleviate a great deal of stress. This method can assist companies in locating the individuals they need to go ahead, bringing them in for interviews, and securing their services within budget. Plus, if you have a specific industry role you need to fill, such as top recruiting jobs, you can find an agency that specializes. 

Make A Good First Impression 

Regardless of how you meet a prospect for the first time, whether it’s an in-person interview or a phone screening, you must make a good first impression of your business. Furthermore, you must personalize it. They must believe that you are as eager to meet them as they are to be considered for the job. One of the most effective recruiting methods you have lots of expertise with is treating your prospective employee as if they were one of your customers. This means you need to: 

Be flexible: No matter how or where you do your interview, make sure you arrive on time. If anything comes up that could cause you to be late, notify the candidate ahead of time so you can reschedule at a more convenient time for both of you.

Be welcoming: Most individuals feel more at ease with a drink of water or coffee (for example) in their hand, so give one to your applicant when they come for an in-person interview.

Make yourself available: Even the best candidates can forget to ask questions or express concerns when placed on the situation. By giving them your contact information, they will be able to contact you if and when the need arises.