These tips will help you get started on hiring employees.
Finding a good employee
Finding help is easy when you know where to look.It can be as simple as hanging a "Help Wanted" sign in your store window, asking your friends (or even customers) whether they want a job, or finding someone online.
Popular sites like craigslist.org list lots of job seekers, and charge under $100 to post a job listing (which is usually the cheapest game in town).
Get a jumpstart on your employee search with the Job Listing Template and Sample Job Application in the Resources section. Check out the great advice from other business owners like yourself on the hiring forum at JumpUp.
Determining how much to pay an employee
Before you pay an employee, there are a few things you need to consider. For example, many states have minimum wage requirements which are higher than the federally mandated amount. Consult your state employer website for more details.
Need more personalized advice? Check out the Association of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) for customized, local help. The SBDCs, funded in part by the Small Business Administration, provide free one-on-one counseling and low-cost training classes on a range of topics, including hiring and managing employees. They have years of experience working with small businesses and over 1000 centers nationwide. Find your local SBDC here.
Writing effective job postings
You can easily find the help you need with a well-written job posting.
Before you write the posting, think about what you want the person to do, how much of their time you'll need, and what skills are required to do the job. A good job posting is specific and informative.
Be sure to include the basics like the job title, company name, location, whether it's a full-time or part-time position, and job responsibilities and requirements. It's also a good idea to provide a brief description of your company (what you do, type of work environment, etc.). Try to detail what the person will actually do and what specific role he or she will play within the company. Provide information about what you are looking for in a candidate. If your job opening requires specific skills, education, certification, or experience, make sure to clearly state them. You also may want to consider including information about the pay. The more detailed your job posting, the more likely you are to make the right hire quickly.
Finally, tell the candidate how to apply for the job. Should they send an email or a fax, call you, come by your place of business, or go to a website? Don't forget to include your contact information and check for misspellings. Take a look at the Sample Job Application in the Resources section to get an idea of what to include.
Interviewing and screening job applicants
Choosing the right person for the job.
First things first. In order to pick the best person for the job, before the interview you need to have a clear idea of what you are looking for. Use your job description to help you identify the skills and the type of person you want. With this information, you'll be able to ask the right questions to determine if the person is right for the job.
Get all of the information you need from the interview. Begin with general questions and then ask more specific situational questions. These behavioral questions will give you an idea of how the person will act on the job. Certain questions are off limits when you are interviewing (e.g., religion, marital status, or other personal information). As a general rule, only ask questions that are relevant to understanding if the candidate can do the job.
During the interview you should also take notes and not rely on your memory to remember everything. Also, don't ignore your gut feelings. How did you feel about the person? What was their body language like?
And finally, at the end of the interview, dont leave candidates hanging. Explain next steps and let them know when they can expect to hear from you.
Visit the hiring forum at JumpUp.com to discuss interviewing tips with other business owners like yourself.
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Learn more about the author, Laura Messerschmitt.
One way to get around the Craig's List help wanted posting fee for ads on is to post your needs as a gig (short term job) with the possibility of it turning into something more permanent.
I think it is a better way of trying people out than formally hiring them. At least you know the job will end if you don't feel it is a fit.
Excellent tip!
Another way is to ask your employees and friends in your industry for referrals.
I have often wondered why companies don't call their competitors and inquire if they have more employees than projects and ask if you can borrow them for a few months until things get better for them.
Sometimes employees want to work closer to their home, particularly if you live in Seattle and work far, far away in Redmond.
I seem to recall that the architectural firm I worked for in a COO type capacity did that on one occasion (it is typical of firms in this industry to work together in this field.)
The receiving firm paid the sending firm the employees normal wages, vacation, sick time, and retirement benefits would continue to accrue and the appropriate employment taxes and other employee benefits such as medical and dental.
The sending firm saved on unemployment charges and the risk of losing a trained employee to a new employer if they laid them off versus vs. knowing that you could recall them when things got better.
And if it turned out that the sent employee preferred the "new" employer, well that was the risk that everyone understood. That is always a risk when you collaborate.
Another tip... it's handy to have a tool to manage responses to your job ad, so you can stay organized, like Catch the Best.
Nice article! I've also used Payscale.com to see what to pay people. It lists the salary range of job types specific to region and experience. Thanks for the tips.
Many people find that navigating all of these choppy waters is just too complex and time-consuming. So they turn to a professional recruiting firm to do some or all of the process for them. It need not cost you an arm and a leg to hire someone wonderful that is a great fit for you. We sometimes do just a piece of the work - that can be really cost-effective for the smaller business.
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