Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest
The work is piling up around you. You're surrounded with post it notes and the phone keeps ringing off the hook. Your small business is booming and you feel like you never have anytime for your family. Time to hire some employees to help. This process can be very simple if you follow some general guidelines.
1. Make a plan.
To make a successful plan ask yourself some questions:
What are the details of the position I am hiring for?
You will want to write down what it is you are hoping to have help with and all the duties that the position will require. Also decide what hours you are looking to have filled and if the position requires nights and weekends.
What type of experience will I require? Am I willing to train?
Decide if you want to take time out of your schedule to train someone who has no experience or if you want to hire someone with a background in the field.
How much money am I going to offer?
Look at your finances and decide what you can easily afford.
What are the costs of having an employee?
Decide if you will provide private insurance, if the answer is yes, then call around to get quotes. Find out the rules of Workmans Comp and get prices on how much it costs.
How will I advertise?
A good place to start is your local newspapers, look at current issues to see a sample of their help ads. Call and get an estimated price per word. There are numerous places online that you could place your ad.
2. Place an ad.
Now that you have your plan, it's time to place your ad. You can keep this very simple or very detailed. A simple ad would include the name of your business and where to send the resume and references. A very detailed ad would include the name of your business and a description of the position (full time vs. part time, rate per hour), along with the address for resume and references. Include an email address in your ad so you can get quicker responses.
3. Deadline.
Set up a deadline in your mind. If you want to have someone hired by the end of the month, and the month has just started then run your ad for 14 days and spend the rest of the month interviewing. If you are in desperate need then run your ad for 7 days and spend the time reviewing and interviewing during that time.
4. Review.
Take a look at all of your resumes and start considering them. If you have decided that the perspective employee has to have experience then take the time to weed out those who do not. If you are open to training then start looking through those that have experience and put them at the top of the pile, and those you will train on the bottom.
5. Set up interviews.
This will take some time but is very important. Have your calendar in front of you and start scheduling appointments. You should have a date and time in your mind before placing the call. Have a list of questions written up to ask during the interview process.
6. Interview time.
Now it's time to bring the possible employees in. First thing to look for is if they shake your hand. Shaking hands and making eye contact shows confidence. You should have an outline in front of you of how you want the interview to go. Jot down the answers to your questions so that you will remember who is who. Take note of how comfortable or uncomfortable you are with the person. This is someone that you will need to trust. At the end of the interview, when you are satisfied that you have a better knowledge of the person make sure to ask them if they have any questions. Write a brief note to yourself on how the interview went and your impression of the person. This will be great to look at for a later reference.
7. Review.
Take time to look over all of the applicants resumes again. At this time you should pick out your top three. This is just a general guideline, if you have more picked out, then include them on your call list. Call the references of their past employees. This may seem tedious but it will give you a better understanding of whom you are dealing with.
8. Call.
If you have narrowed your pile down and you are having a hard time choosing who you want, then it's time for a second interview. This will help you to make your decision. If you have decided already whom it is you are going to hire then bring them back in for a second interview anyway. If at the end of the interview you are still impressed, then go ahead and offer them the job.
Provide your new employee with a guide to what you expect in your work place. This is the rules and regulations. Out of respect for the applicants that you may have brought in for the second interview, write them a letter dismissing them and thanking them for their time. File these applications, as you may need them in the future.
Hiring a new employee means that your business is growing and this is something you can be proud of. You may feel stressed over whether or not you hired the right person. Relax, give the person a month to get the hang of your business. If after that time, you are still uncomfortable with your decision. Start the process of hiring an employee over again. This time take notes with you about your dislikes of the current employee, and use that to help base your decision on the next one.
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