22 Nov Hiring Employees
Ask the Expert – Hiring Employees
Q – I am considering hiring employees in my business and would appreciate some tips and tricks to help me make sure that is the appropriate next step as well as any suggestions to make the process easier.
A – Hiring employees is a very big next step that should not be taken lightly. Having employees can add complexities to any businesses. There is the issue of tracking their time for invoicing customers and determining productivity, and the issue of the cost of the employees direct and indirect). First, determine what duties the employee will be responsible for and how this will benefit the company. The clearer the job description the more effective the screening process will be.
Next begin the search for the employee with the right skills and experience. While doing that, don”t forget the administrative issues that need to be taken care of such as obtaining a federal and state employer identification numbers, purchasing workers compensation insurance, deciding how payroll will be processed, what benefits will be offered, how will those benefits be provided, considering an employee handbook or other written documentation of company policies and procedures, will any pre-employment screening be done such as background checks, dealing with work space and supply issues to make the new employee productive, etc.
When making the decision to hire an employee for a sole owner/manager business, do not expect that the person will come in an make everything easier immediately. No matter how skilled the employee is, there is always a certain amount of training, supervision, management, and other interaction required. At least initially, having a new employee does not reduce the work flow of the owner/manager.
It is quite apparent the addition of an employee can have many direct and indirect costs. A process is needed to organize the data and translate the results into a form that can be used to make better decision.