Setting up your own consulting service is a remarkable accomplishment, one that likely took many hours of preparation and planning. Now you are adequately prepared to commit to the next step in your specific plan and hire your first employee. This will be a significant milestone for your business. It is, furthermore, one that should not be done without proper consideration. We have brought together a few valuable tips that can help properly guide you through the process of hiring your first employee.
Start With The Basic Questions
There are a number of key influences to consider when considering the step to hire your first employee. To determine the objective, start with asking yourself a few essential questions. This includes:
- Why is the purpose of hiring an employee?Are you hiring an employee to free up more time in your diary, or are you wanting to branch out your services and need to acquire the skills needed to offer new services?
- What role will the new employee fulfill? Allow yourself a minute to carefully consider your current circumstances and start mapping the successful applicants official job description. Comprehending what you need and what the specific purpose of the hire will be, will lay down the fundamentals of your decision.
For example, if you are currently devoting hours on managing billings and accounting tasks, it helps to consider an applicant with financial or accounting experience that can help free up more of your time.
- What experience and value can help expand your business? Considering the credentials and experience your business needs marks a valuable step in the process. Take time to consider the skills and experiences that will ultimately help promote and expand your business. Start by listing these skills as a requirement for the position.
For example, if you need to shift focus and direct attention to promoting your business, it helps to consider an applicant with marketing or advertising experience.
Make An Informed Decision
Regardless of how impressive a qualified applicant’s resume is, hiring the right fit for the position represents a critical decision for your business. It is not one that should not be made without proper consideration. Employing an improper fit can typically have dire repercussions on your business. There are a variable number of key factors to adequately consider before arriving at your decision.
Do not hire in a hurry, take time to screen the candidates and choose resumes for those applicants that that will offer you the potential to help grow your business. There is a lot to think through and you need to establish the basics upfront, that way you have a clear vision of what you need to consider and which will guide you through the screening process. .The list of things to consider can include:
- How many applicants should I interview for the position before making a decision?
- What skills and experience must the applicant have?
- Does the applicant meet all the requirements of the background checks?
- Can I verify the information and experiences the applicant has included on their resume?
Adequately Consider Legal Compliance
It is critically important you consider official requirements when hiring an employee. Depending on governance in your area, you must ensure you are aware of and understand the statutory obligations related to hiring staff.
The Interview Content Must Align To The Position Being Applied For
There is no more effective way to evaluate applicants skills than to examine those skills while being applied in a real business scenario. Think back to your case interview and how you were required to engage your cognitive abilities in order to solve the problem. Putting together the interview content to enable you to measure the applicant’s ability to apply those talents is a significant way to evaluate proficiency.
For example, if the position requires financial skills, it helps to test the applicant’s knowledge and skills in this area. Fit for the position is also vitally important if you require an administrative assistant that will be dealing with clients, it does not make sense to hire an introvert with no communication skills.
Just a note
It is important to remember that a clearly defined role and responsibilities will enable you to identify the right fit for the job.
