Best Practices for Hiring Your First Employees
Hiring your first employee, let that sink in for a little bit. Your business is going so strong that you must hire an employee. That’s incredible. Isn’t it? There was once a time when you had no idea if your business was going to take off, and now you need to hire an employee. Who knows, you might have to hire several employees before everything is said and done.
Don’t hire friends and family
Just because you like someone doesn’t mean they’ll make a great employee. Your siblings might be great people, but they may not have the skills required to take your business to the next level. Family businesses are great, but the problem is you might find that people in your family aren’t the best to hire. If you’re hiring a cook, maybe someone with restaurant cooking experience might be better than hiring your cousin Tommy, who can barely boil water.
It’s tempting to hire people who you already know, but it rarely turns out well. What’s even worse is you might risk your relationship with the person if things go sour. The person you are at home is a much different person than you are at work, and when people discover that second side of you, the outcome might not be what you expected.
Always check the references people give you
Let’s be super honest and talk about the references you used to give on your applications. Did those people even exist? Probably not. What would your employer have learned about you if they took the time to call your references? Probably nothing because, at best, those people barely knew you or, at worst, were totally made-up numbers.
You need to call the references people put on their application. Talk to them and get a feel for the person that you consider hiring. Ask questions that only someone who knows the person would be privy to. Don’t hesitate to investigate the person deeper so you can learn everything there is to know about them.
Interviews are a must, and don’t be afraid to give more than one
The value of an interview is, it gives you a chance to not only ask the right questions, but to get body language from the person. How the person answers your questions makes all the difference in the world. If you’re seeking someone with experience, you should be able to read the person to tell if they have the proper experience.
Ask the hard-hitting questions that get straight to the point. Follow up on those questions with things that only a person in your industry would know. You’re not trying to find a friend, the goal here is to find someone that will take your business to the next level. It’s not as hard as it sounds, but that means you need to be aggressive in the way you approach your interviews.
It’s also a good idea that’s suggested by top notch sites like bizop.org to interview lots of people for the position. Work hard to get as many people as possible interested about the position so that you have a large pool of people who are willing to work for you.
Don’t skimp when it comes to salary
If there is one thing you should never do when hiring an employee, it’s pay them less than they are worth. What type of worker do you expect to get if you’re paying them a salary that they can’t live off of? Think about that for a second. If you’re not paying someone a livable wage, what are they working for?
No one expects to be able to afford a yacht on entry-level wages, but the other side of the coin is if you pay too little, you’re not going to get much in return. Do online research and find out what other companies in your field are paying and, at the very least, match them. If you have to severely underpay your workers, it’s best not to hire them at all. Maybe there’s a way you can avoid hiring people and use automation or outsource the tasks to people in other countries who work for much less.
Hiring the right person makes all the difference
Businesses, at their very core, are just people performing tasks. The right person for the job will mean that your business is able to grow and prosper. As you hire more people, you’ll begin to develop an eye for finding the right workers. The most important thing is to be upfront with what you expect the person to do and pay them an honest wage that doesn’t take advantage of them.
