Whether you run a startup or charitable organization, the success of your operations relies on hiring the first team members. Your first employees help create a solid foundation for your business to thrive. You must ensure everything is set up correctly before finding suitable hires.
Read on to discover how to prepare before hiring your first employees.
Table of Contents
Assess Your Need for Help
When your business starts to experience pain points such as missed deadlines and increased customer complaints, it may be time to consider hiring help. Other times, certain tasks may not be the best use of your time or skills, and it may be more cost-effective to hire someone else to do it. It is crucial to assess your business needs and what roles you want to fill.
Define the Tasks You Want to Delegate
By figuring out the kind of support your business needs, you will know what things to direct your resources to. You can collect information on all tasks and put similar ones together. Afterward, you can hire someone to handle time-consuming, repetitive tasks.
While it can be difficult to delegate tasks for the first time, it is vital to lay out roles and responsibilities in a simple format for your first employees’ reference. A proper job description will help you find and retain suitable candidates.
Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Before hiring employees, you must register your business with the federal and state governments. According to the IRS, every business with employees must get an Employer Identification Number (EIN), a unique nine-digit number for tax identification.
The EIN of a company works like a Social Security number. You may already have one if you operate your business as a corporation or partnership. Otherwise, you can apply for an EIN online.
Run Background Checks on Your Applicants
After you’ve picked a candidate and made an offer, you may wish to do a background check. A background check, often known as a pre-employment screening, is vital to keeping your company, workers, and customers secure.
Background checks are subject to several intricate, state-specific legal restrictions and regulations. While some jurisdictions place restrictions on the types of criminal history inquiries, you can make and the times during the application process at which you can inquire about criminal history. Other jurisdictions require that a role meet specific requirements before you can retrieve a credit history. You can use a third-party firm to perform background checks to meet these standards.
Get Support from Professionals
The hiring process can be easier to navigate with help from outside experts. A professional support team may include:
• Business attorneys
• HR consultants
• Accountants
• Bookkeepers
Your business can comply with employment laws and best practices with their expert advice. For instance, they will help make sure new hires fill out proper forms and when you can hire independent contractors.
Develop a Proper Communication Process
To supplement the initial briefing and orientation process, it is necessary to set up an open communication and feedback process. You should develop a plan in the early employment stages to give your new hires continuous feedback. This will help your employees know where and how to improve performance.
For bigger projects and tasks, you can provide feedback after the completion of each. Some convenient ways of feedback include face-to-face meetings, private messages, and emails. You can then schedule a formal session for reviewing performance and feedback.
Choose a Payroll and Accounting System
Before getting your first hires, it is essential to set up a system for payroll taxes and wages. You can hire an accountant or choose a payroll service. Most people opt for payroll services because they present fewer problems.
You need to track hours with an employee time clock, determine tax withholdings, and send checks to pay employees. Depending on the size of your firm, you may need to file payroll taxes and filings every month or every three months.
Conclusion
Hiring Your First Employees, selecting your first employees can be crucial for a founder or business owner. It shows the growth potential of your company. The hiring process is far more efficient when you know what to search for and which positions to fill first. Check out these links for further details on preserving a just and secure workplace, minimum wage regulations, offering employee benefits, and informing workers about company rules.
Read more: How to Run a Successful Business Online
