Hiring your first employee can be exciting! As an entrepreneur and a small business owner, you may have dreamed of finding someone as passionate about your business as you are. But hiring your first employee is not something you should be doing passionately; rather, it needs to be done practically.
Hiring your first employee as a small business owner requires you to stop thinking only like a business owner and start approaching the process as an HR professional. Here’s how you can achieve it:
Read Up on Employee and Employer Rights
Lack of information is not a valid excuse. It is also an excuse that can quickly cease to be one. Understanding the laws and legalities of hiring an employee might save you and your small business from a disastrous situation.
Look for the federal laws and the laws of your state. Find out the fair pay, fair working hours, policies regarding overtime and benefits, and the differences between temporary and permanent employees.
Understanding your responsibilities as an employer is also important as your company grows. Small businesses can benefit from professional HR support and fractional HR services when they need help establishing policies, managing employees, and navigating HR responsibilities.
Once you have read and understood all the terms, conditions, and your rights as an employer and your employee’s rights, you should write and post the job ad accordingly.
Prefer Potential Over Experience
An experienced employee will not only demand pay as per their experience but might also have a different work wavelength from you. As a small business owner, your plan to grow and expand your business might depend on many realistic factors that you might want to keep to yourself.
However, an experienced employee might treat your small business as a large firm and take risks that your small business might not afford.
On the other hand, an employee who lacks experience but has knowledge and potential can be trained according to your business’s needs.
When hiring, it is also important to consider how the position fits into your overall workforce strategy and the type of employee benefits solutions you may eventually offer as your team grows.
Prepare an Employee Handbook
While your business may be small, hiring your first employee is a big step toward growth. For most start-ups, the time difference between establishing the business and hiring the first employee is usually much more significant than hiring the first employee and hiring the second employee.
Hence, the sooner you prepare an employee handbook, the better it will be. Since you will be the only person to answer any questions or correct any wrongs of your employee, preparing an employee handbook will make things easier for not just your employee but for you as well.
A handbook can establish expectations around workplace policies, employee responsibilities, time off, benefits, and other important employment matters.
Utilize Pre-Employment Screening Services
Small businesses may be more vulnerable to hiring mistakes than larger firms. Since small business owners may seem rushed or desperate to hire their first employee, scamming or conning them can be even more accessible.
As a small business owner, consider paying for pre-employment screenings to discover the truth about your potential employees. See the pre-employment screening fee as an investment that will ensure the safety of your business. Along with the pre-employment screening, you can also arrange for a drug test to further secure you and your business.
Finally, don’t rush the hiring or interview process. It may be difficult for you to make time to go through various resumes, schedule interviews, and sit for those interviews, but it will all pay off when hiring your first employee ends in success with a practical and punctual employee.
