A2X Consulting

Making the choice to bring on extra help for your small business doesn’t have to be complicated or overly time consuming. Instead, follow these 5 Tips to Help You Hire New Employees:

1. Determine what you need: Do you need to hire employees for full-time, part-time, or maybe even just temporary work? Before you set out to hire, evaluate the needs of your company. If you are in the service industry, at busy times throughout the year, you may need to hire temporary or seasonal employees. Likewise, if you are growing your business and you need someone to answer the phones and take care of time-consuming paperwork, you might be better off hiring a more permanent employee. Know what you need before you walk into the interview.

2. Make a list of job requirements and responsibilities: What will the new hire do? Type up a clear list of responsibilities for the employee, as well as a set of minimum requirements. Think about what a prospective person will need in order to do the job successfully (will they need a degree, or state accreditation? What about previous experience?)

Also, establish an employee handbook, so the rules are available for employees, in writing or online, once they start. Business.gov offers suggestions for writing employee handbooks here.

3. Figure out what benefits you will offer: You will need to figure out how much time off you will give your employees, whether you’ll offer an insurance plan and what your rules are for disciplinary action, if needed.

‘A small business should play up perks such as casual work environments, flexible work schedules, telecommuting, social activities, extra vacation and personal time, or any other supportive or family-friendly policies they offer that larger companies have difficulty supporting. If your small firm could possibly function with some employees working from home, at least part-time, try it,’ Daniel Solomons, president and CEO of the company Hyrian, based in Los Angeles, said in a Business Week interview.

4. Post the job: There are many sites on the Web that can help you find well qualified people. You can post the job description on national sites like Indeed.com and Monster.com. You can also post it in local newspapers and community publications.

If you are looking for new talent, you can post the job notice on the Career Service Department page of local universities. If you are interested in finding interns, you can do the same, or visit InternProgram360.com to learn more about recruiting students for your small business.

5. Review the resumes and conduct background checks: Once the job application period closes, you can then begin to look through the resumes of those who applied. Once you have narrowed the list down and brought the candidates in for an interview, it may not be a bad idea to get involved with a background check service. ‘If your company’s product or service requires your employees to access clients’ homes, children or possessions, do not overlook the importance of conducting a background check. You can search on the web, ask your insurance provider, or talk to your local police authorities for recommendations on companies to conduct this check for you. In each instance, you will need the applicant’s signature and understanding that you will have a third party conduct a background check as a condition of employment,’ BusinessKnowHow’s ‘10 Hiring Tips for Small Business Owners‘ said.

By Kelly Mclendon. Kelly is studying Journalism and Environmental Policy. She can be reached at mclendon.kelly@gmail.com.