How to Hire your First Employee and Maintain Your Sanity

Congratulations!  Your business is taking off, and you need more than just yourself to keep everything going.  What do you do?

1. Before you hire anyone, think about the attributes of the person you want.  Part-time or fulltime?  What skills should they have?  Do you need someone who can grow into a bigger role as you grow?
2. Make a recruiting plan.  Where is this imagined employee looking for work?  Put out your job ads with this in mind.  Would they be looking for work online? Post to Craigslist or Indeed (both are free).  Are they currently working?  Try a Linkedin job ad.  Do they have a very specialized skill set?  You might be better off with a recruiter in your field.
3. Set your expectations.  What will you want this new employee doing?  How will you measure whether they’re doing it well or not?  You should think about this in advance, and then communicate them to the person when you make the hire.
4. Interview.  Don’t fall in love with the first person, and be sure that you’re doing less talking than your candidate.  Also remember that you are looking for someone who is good at the job, not someone who is good at interviewing or writing resumes.
5. Be ready for questions.  How much does this pay?  Do you offer benefits?  What kind of growth and future will I have with this company?
6. Get your legal ducks in a row.  You need to have a system for payroll, filing payroll taxes, and paying unemployment taxes.  You’ll also need worker’s compensation insurance added to your policy.
7. Hire your first employee!

Luckily, this gets easier with more experience.  But, if you’re concerned about getting the first one right, reach out to the experts for help!