4 Steps to Hiring Your First Employee
By Andrew Patricio
July 13, 2016
Small Business & Entrepreneurship
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By the small business content developers at BizLaunch.com.
Hiring your first employee can feel exciting, scary, or a confusing mixture of the two, yet this is a significant and important milestone in your business’ journey. If you find yourself on the precipice of taking this significant step forward in growing your small business, you probably already know that it’s an undertaking that requires some forethought and preparation.
So what can you do to reduce friction in the process and increase your chances of finding the best person for the job? Here are four ways to make sure you attract and hire the right person the first time.
1. Write a concise job description.
It’s impossible to winnow all your job needs into a descriptive and informative document that details all the ins and outs of the job you’re hiring for that isn’t the length of a thesis. Most flourishing small businesses require employees that can take on a wide variety of responsibilities, and some of these can be difficult to describe.
While you don’t have to capture all of the minute details, you should be able to home in on the most crucial functions you’ll be looking for someone to be able to complete. Consider what duties you’re willing to provide training for and those that you’d expect a qualified candidate to already have experience with.
2. Calculate a pay range.
Now that you know what the job entails, you can look around to see what wages look like for similar positions. Rather than set an exact salary, estimate a range of pay that you can comfortably afford for your potential employee. An individual with more experience may be ready to negotiate for higher compensation while someone with less experience may be willing to work for less in exchange for training.
It’s important to find an amount that provides fair compensation for the work required, so that your new employee will feel appreciated and want to stick around for a while, rather than looking for greener pastures from the start.
3. Get a registered Business Number.
Your company may not be a legal corporate entity yet, but once you plan on paying a salary or wages or provide taxable benefits, in the eyes of the Canadian government, you become an employer and must register with the Canadian Revenue Agency to set up a business number and program account. Much of the process of registering can be taken care of via the Internet. In fact, the process is quite streamlined and standardized to minimize paperwork and help employers qualify with minimal hassle.
4. Tap into your networks.
While advertising your job on websites for job seekers or even posting the information on your own website and social media channels is a means of bringing in potential job candidates, you can also reach out to those you know through your professional and business networking groups to share that you’re looking for applicants with small business experience. Personal referrals can be great if you trust the person giving the referral, but if you have any hesitation, after a thorough interview process it’s okay to move onto the next candidate.
Take your time in hiring your first employee. This individual will work for you for the foreseeable future, so you want to make sure the person you select is the ideal fit.
Hiring your first employee can feel exciting, scary, or a confusing mixture of the two, yet this is a significant and important milestone in your business’ journey. If you find yourself on the precipice of taking this significant step forward in growing your small business, you probably already know that it’s an undertaking that requires some forethought and preparation.
So what can you do to reduce friction in the process and increase your chances of finding the best person for the job? Here are four ways to make sure you attract and hire the right person the first time.
1. Write a concise job description.
It’s impossible to winnow all your job needs into a descriptive and informative document that details all the ins and outs of the job you’re hiring for that isn’t the length of a thesis. Most flourishing small businesses require employees that can take on a wide variety of responsibilities, and some of these can be difficult to describe.
While you don’t have to capture all of the minute details, you should be able to home in on the most crucial functions you’ll be looking for someone to be able to complete. Consider what duties you’re willing to provide training for and those that you’d expect a qualified candidate to already have experience with.
2. Calculate a pay range.
Now that you know what the job entails, you can look around to see what wages look like for similar positions. Rather than set an exact salary, estimate a range of pay that you can comfortably afford for your potential employee. An individual with more experience may be ready to negotiate for higher compensation while someone with less experience may be willing to work for less in exchange for training.
It’s important to find an amount that provides fair compensation for the work required, so that your new employee will feel appreciated and want to stick around for a while, rather than looking for greener pastures from the start.
3. Get a registered Business Number.
Your company may not be a legal corporate entity yet, but once you plan on paying a salary or wages or provide taxable benefits, in the eyes of the Canadian government, you become an employer and must register with the Canadian Revenue Agency to set up a business number and program account. Much of the process of registering can be taken care of via the Internet. In fact, the process is quite streamlined and standardized to minimize paperwork and help employers qualify with minimal hassle.
4. Tap into your networks.
While advertising your job on websites for job seekers or even posting the information on your own website and social media channels is a means of bringing in potential job candidates, you can also reach out to those you know through your professional and business networking groups to share that you’re looking for applicants with small business experience. Personal referrals can be great if you trust the person giving the referral, but if you have any hesitation, after a thorough interview process it’s okay to move onto the next candidate.
Take your time in hiring your first employee. This individual will work for you for the foreseeable future, so you want to make sure the person you select is the ideal fit.