Before anyone goes into the ‘world of business’, it goes without saying that research is of paramount importance – this will dictate whether your business will succeed and you will launch your brand successfully or if you will quietly ‘sit in the back of the class’ and ‘gather dust’ while wondering, ‘where did I go wrong?’.
Having guidelines is always a benchmark to help you on your journey. In this contributed article, we will be looking at the process of getting your first employees and using a practical guide for entrepreneurs to doing so.
When your business starts growing, it is sometimes inevitable to get some help. You will need employees to keep your growing customer base happy, or to look after the online chat on your website. Most entrepreneurs find it hard to outsource tasks, but they need to free up their time to brainstorm new ideas in order to grow their business ventures further. If you are ready to start the recruitment process, check out the guide below to avoid the mistakes many fellow entrepreneurs have already made.
Full Time Or Part Time?
The first thing you need to decide on is whether or not you need a person full time. If you seem to be spending all day doing administration work and have no time to research the competition, it might be a good idea to get a full-time personal assistant. You want to make sure that you use your time as effectively as possible in the business. Time is money, and you will lose time being bogged down with accounting and web development issues of your business.
Employee Or Contractor?
There are benefits of taking on a contractor directly or through an agency. If you need flexibility, and not necessarily someone all the time, strictly during the busy periods, then getting a contractor would be a more cost-effective option. If you take on an employee, you will need to pay their insurance and other fees related to employment, but you will have a more motivated and reliable worker.
Deciding On Employee Benefits
Once you have decided that you will take on a full or part-time employee, you can start thinking about ways of motivating them. Remember that the employee will never have the same enthusiasm as you have for your business, and they will move on if they don’t feel appreciated and respected. Give them something that they value highly, such as flexible working hours, paid holidays, or even wellness discounts.
Background Checks
Before you sign on the dotted line, you will have to make sure you are picking the right person for the job. Some people tend to lie just to get the job. Find out everything about your applicants by looking for background check software that automatically validates the information they provided on their resume and during the interviews. You have to check the references and make sure that the person has the right skill set to do the job.
Training And Development
Whenever you take on your first employee, you are possibly competing with hundreds of other companies that offer a training and career development program, as well as different employee benefits. If you would like to get the best workers, you will need to step up your game and research the competition. You don’t want to end up training a new person for the same job every few months; make sure you keep your employee motivated and engaged.
There comes a time in every growing business when one person cannot do it all. Before you choose your future employees, make sure you know exactly what you expect of them and what their requirements are – this way it will result in a win-win situation and everyone will be happy, or as close to happy as is earthly possible.
It is a process and one that you constantly need to be refining as you chart your business course to success. Even having a guideline sometimes may not be enough because changes occur frequently, however, it is great to have an idea as to how to proceed and then to improve on it in the long term.
I wish you much success in your business ventures.
Images courtesy of Pixabay, PBAHealth.com, and Vance Air Force Base.