The most valuable employee, other than yourself, is the first one you recruit when you start a new business. Of any future workers you recruit, the first employee will act as a template, so it pays to make sure that first hire is a model for the business’s work ethic and passion.
You’re going to need a motivated employee who is able to wear many hats and work hard to make your vision a reality. That being said, it is of the utmost importance that you make sure you hire a fantastic first employee who will set the precedent for everyone else.
Step 1: Create a plan
Before diving into the hiring process, you need to build a plan that precisely outlines the type of employees you’re going to need to recruit, which roles they’ll need to fill, and how you’re going to be able to afford to pay them a fair, competitive wage. It goes without saying that hiring is one of the biggest expenses that your business can undertake. To save yourself from digging your company into a financial hole, you’ll need to have a concrete strategy in place.
Start building your plan by examining the biggest shortcomings in your operations and determining which job positions that can provide a resolution to those outstanding weaknesses as well as address your working budget and projected growth.
Step 2: Create a job listing
The first step in reducing your business’ long list of development-centered strategies is to precisely identify the objectives and expectations you aim to achieve. This especially applies to the hiring process as you must clearly define your needs to ensure you have the help you need to make those visions a reality. The level of expertise you demand from your future hire will need to be decided and plainly stated on your job listing.
To create the perfect job description, be sure to include these key elements:
- Job Title: The job title simply reveals the name of the position that needs to be filled. Adhere to industry standard titles to prevent misleading future recruits (i.e. SEO analyst, graphic designer, bookkeeper, tax preparer, etc.).
- Job Summary: The job summary should explain the day-to-day processes the applicant can expect and should include a brief overview of the role and how it meshes into the larger scope of the company’s objective to the company’s goals and growth.
- Duties: The duties should concisely outline the responsibilities the candidate will be responsible for and is best presented in a bulleted list that is readable and digestible.
- Qualifications: This list should detail any academic degrees, certifications, or other qualifications required for the job.
Step 3: Post listings on reputable job boards
If you want top-tier prospective applicants, you need to make sure that your employment opportunities are on reputable websites. Ultimately, you want to make sure that your business is reflected in the greatest and most professional way possible — so, when advertising your employment opening online, Craigslist may not be the best first option for posting.
Instead, opt for posting your listing on one or more of these high-success rate classified sites:
- CareerBuilder
- SimplyHired
- Google for Jobs
- Indeed
- Glassdoor
- ZipRecruiter
Step 4: Set up a screening process
Employee screening is pretty common in all business sectors, but it’s a particularly important step when you’re looking to recruit. Hiring remote workers needs a certain degree of confidence in your staff that not all employers experience.
With that said, it’s a safe idea to set up a screening process before you get to the final recruiting phase. Something as easy as a criminal background check, an MVR check, or credit check might help you prevent serious problems later down the road.
Wrapping up
Hiring workers for a startup looks a bit different than hiring within a corporate setting, however, with these basic steps you can make the hiring process infinitely smoother. Make sure you consider your specific business industry and the unique circumstances that you will need to take into consideration. And finally, don’t forget to enjoy the recruiting process! You’re taking a huge leap towards growing your company and reaching your greatest targets.