How to Make Your First Hire? Tips and Strategies

job interview
Joanie Turmel
April 4 2022

Is your workload constantly increasing? Are the files piling up on your desk? No doubt the time has come to hire your first employee! 

The first hire is a milestone in your SMB’s HR management journey. But it also comes with its share of questions and concerns.

Here are 7 valuable tips to guide you through this challenging and stressful process.

1) Recruit Based on Your Financial Situation

First and foremost, make sure you have adequately analyzed where you stand financially. You don’t want to be offering a salary that you can’t realistically afford.

Aside from wages, don’t forget to consider the various costs related to the hiring process, the equipment, the training, and the payroll taxes.

Detailing your budget before hiring your first employee will help you avoid ending up in an unwanted financial position. 

 

2) Provide a Clear Job Description

Before formally announcing your position, make sure your job description is precise and detailed. Not only will this help you maximize the number of applications, but it will also help guide your recruitment process and ensure its success.

An effective job posting includes the job title, company description, a summary of the role and responsibilities, and a list of the qualifications required.

In terms of the salary and employee benefits your potential hire will be entitled to, lay your cards on the table during the first interview. Transparency will avoid any misunderstanding and cut out candidates who may have other aspirations from the get-go.

https://folksrh.com/en/blog/how-to-make-your-first-hire-tips-and-strategies/

Hiring your first employee is a crucial moment for your company and directly impacts its growth. To ensure that this step goes smoothly, make sure that the selected candidate shares your vision and your values.

To develop a solid corporate culture, all employees must be in sync. Tracey Beveridge, HR director at Personnel Checks, says: “For that to be possible, you must have a clear vision and values. It may be that you’ve never needed to define these, even though you may know what they are, but when you reach the point of making a hire, you must be able to communicate these unambiguously.”

This selection criterion will have a direct impact on your future work environment. Choose wisely!

4) Hire a Candidate Whose Skills Are Complementary to Yours

Hiring a profile that is different from yours but still complementary is fundamental to building a balanced team. 

You already excel in marketing, but managing your social media gives you headaches? Why not rely on a candidate who is an expert in this field? In addition to balancing your company’s strengths, it will encourage you to let go of some tasks that don’t appeal to you.

Moreover, having a variety of strengths within your company will allow you to grow and reach your goals more quickly.

Hiring a candidate based on their potential and motivation for the position outweighs an impressive resume.

As a start-up company, taking into consideration a person’s current abilities and mindset and their growth potential is paramount. You want to find someone who will grow along with your company.

To that end, going through the numerous documents and interviews can be a somewhat overwhelming process. Therefore, investing in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is wise. In addition to saving you from unnecessary paperwork, an ATS will allow you to optimize your recruiting process and find qualified candidates, thanks to its many built-in features.

6) Plan a Probationary Period

Don’t miss out on a good hire: include a probationary period in the employment contract! This first step in your working relationship will allow you to establish a solid foundation by initiating a dialogue about your expectations and concerns.

Your new hire will be able to make sure that the functions they perform are appropriate for them and that the company culture is in line with their values. Moreover, the probationary period will be an opportunity for you to see the person in action and to assess their ability to adapt to their new work environment. This will allow you to confirm your professional compatibility.

7) Have an Onboarding Process in Place

The first few weeks in a new organization can be quite daunting and sometimes even a bit stressful. To prevent your new employee from being overwhelmed by the amount of information they have to assimilate, it is essential to create a solid onboarding process.

Besides demonstrating your professionalism, a good onboarding program breaks the ice, eases communication between you and your new hire, fosters engagement and increases your retention rate. 

It’s time to get creative and show your new employee that they have made the right choice by joining your organization!

Feel free to use our free checklist for a successful onboarding!

Being well organized in your hiring process is a huge success factor in selecting the right person for the job. With that in mind, Folks has created the ultimate tool for recruiting top talent. From interview templates to automatic resume sorting, Folks ATS will assist you in your hiring process to make you save valuable time!

Do you want to make sucessful hires?

Optimize your recruiting processes with Folks ATS!

REQUEST YOUR FREE CUSTOMIZED DEMO

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