Hiring your first employees is one of the most significant milestones for your business. It can also be challenging, with many logistical headaches and legal requirements to navigate. For example, hiring someone else may be the right move if you find yourself responding to customer support tickets as a founder, and it needs to be more of your time.
Know Your Needs
Hiring an employee is a significant milestone for any small business. While the logistical headaches, legal requirements, and fear of making a bad hire can make it intimidating to take this leap, adding another team member can boost your company’s growth, increase productivity, and allow you to spend more time on other pressing matters. Before you start looking to hire your first employees, figuring out what you need from this new hire is essential. This includes creating a job description that clearly outlines the responsibilities and qualifications of the position. It is also worth establishing what you will pay, including an hourly wage, employee benefits, and other expenses.
It is also a good idea to prioritize candidates with experience in your industry or closely related ones. This can help you avoid training someone from scratch and ensure that your new employee is familiar with any nuances of your business and startup team structure. Any specialized knowledge or abilities that could help your company should also be considered.
Create a Job Description
If you want to attract the best candidates, a job description must accurately describe the job. A well-written job description is crucial for setting expectations and holding employees accountable. When creating a job description, write it in the present tense and use descriptive action verbs (e.g., writes, operates, and performs). Avoid acronyms and abbreviations that may need clarification to a reader unfamiliar with the term. Also, remove unnecessary or trivial activities and tasks not essential to the job duties. You should also include the physical requirements of the job, whether that means a certain amount of travel or work-from-home flexibility. It is necessary to specify whether or not the Fair Labor Standards Act covers the position. And you should clearly state the salary and benefits if offered.
It’s essential to remember that hiring your first employees is not just a significant milestone for you as the founder of your startup; it’s an investment of time and resources. So, it’s critical to take the time to create an adequate job description that will be as accurate as possible when posting it to job boards and advertising the role.
Post the Job
For any small business, hiring their first worker is a significant accomplishment. The process can be both exciting and intimidating. You’ll need to ensure you’re prepared, from determining what role to hire to understanding legal requirements. Once you’ve chosen your need, it’s time to start looking for candidates. Start by posting your job description, describing the high-level responsibilities and the day-to-day tasks that need to be done. Be realistic about your expectations; hiring someone to fill a void won’t benefit you in the long run. Also, be sure to set a salary in line with market rates. A minimum wage job won’t attract qualified applicants, and skilled workers will expect a higher wage than entry-level employees. It’s also important to consider additional benefits like health insurance, paid vacation, and 401(k) contributions.
Screen the Candidates
Hiring your first employees is a massive milestone for any business. It can also be overwhelming, but with some preparation and expert advice, you can make the process run smoothly and find the right people for your company. The interview is your chance to learn more about the candidates beyond what they wrote on their resume. Ask questions to help you determine if they have the skills and abilities needed to perform the job well. You can also use the interview to clarify any misconceptions about the applicant based on their application or what they told you during the initial phone screen.
Be careful not to hyper-focus on a candidate’s past, though. While you should be able to discern some red flags (such as a history of job hopping), don’t jump to conclusions based solely on that. After all, someone who has changed jobs a few times may have good reasons for it. It would help if you also tried to understand their personality and attitude. A confident, charismatic candidate can be just as important as the skills they bring.
Hire the Right Person
Hiring the right person for your business is one of the most exciting and challenging tasks any business owner will face. Your first hires will set the foundation for your business’s growth, so choosing wisely is critical. Hiring the wrong people can lead to high turnover, toxic workplaces, and failure.
The right people will bring the skills, creativity, work ethic, and character to help you move your business forward. It’s also essential to find out what is important to the people you want to hire, whether it’s equity, growth, or more responsibility. Once you’ve figured out the roles and responsibilities you need, it’s time to start hiring.