Editor’s Note: Here at Dispatches, we are always looking for ways to help our readers do things. For some of our readers, that means helping navigate the working world, for others, it means assisting in the ever challenging question, “what’s for dinner?” For still others, it means figuring out how to balance family life with everything else. In an effort to aid in all of these endeavors, we have collaborated on this article written specifically for our readers.
As a small business, it’s a huge deal for you to bring on more people to work with your company. You may have been working out of a spare bedroom for some time, so to be in the position that you have grown enough to bring someone else on board, you can guarantee your business is growing properly. Well done, you!
There are a lot of articles out there that can help a business to reduce the cost of recruitment, and this advice is usually pretty sound. The use of social media, current employee referrals and posting on public jobs boards are all steps that people usually take to hire in new people. There are also businesses that take care of HR outsourcing to manage all of the paperwork that comes with staff management.
However, once you’ve advertised you need to make sure you are hiring the right person. Beyond the interviews and negotiation, you want to make sure you are hiring someone who will last through training and stick around for a significant amount of time.
- Whether you choose to outsource your hiring process to an outside company or not, you need to think about the person specification and job description before you even get started. Take a step back and reflect to make sure that yours are real and get to know your own wants and needs when it comes to hiring the right people.
- Your benefits and salary scales are going to depend on both what you need and what you can afford. Plenty of companies out there will try to skip out on salary because times are hard, but you need to think about a fair wage for what you are asking. Always be aware of any prospective employees that are fixated on the numbers, but also balance that with ensuring that you are offering something that works.
- There are people out there with a LOT of jobs on their resumes, and sometimes this doesn’t translate to show them to be reliable as an employee. Of course, some people choose to work temporarily from contract to contract, and that can be explained with dates. Some may have joined companies just before they folded or were acquired. If you have questions, ask! Don’t just put someone in the circular file for reasons outside of their control.
- Your company culture is going to be looked at carefully by all who come through your door. It’s hard to define and you need to think about the image that you want to show to the world about your business. Speaking to those who interview your candidates and letting them in about your company culture can help you to sell the idea – they have to fit into your team, after all.
- Raise the ceiling when you are recruiting. People often like to grow within a company and they want to know that their ideas will be heard. If you give people the space to grow in your business, they won’t want to leave you.
These tips are not exhaustive, but if you ensure that your new employees know about your business, you can ensure that they are happy in their roles.