Employing People for the First Time
Introduction
Deciding to employ a member of staff for the first time can be
a daunting decision for a self-employed person to make,
because recruitment is expensive and making a
mistake is costly. Alternatives, such as implementing
efficiency improvements, need to be carefully considered
before the decision to recruit is reached.
Recruitment Process
Implementing this process should help you ensure that the
recruitment of your first employee is successful:
1) Conduct a gap analysis Look at the tasks
that must be completed to ensure the smooth running of your
company and identify any gaps. Decide which of these
tasks must be incorporated into the newly created
role.
2) Prepare a Job Description Define the tasks
that the role holder will be responsible for completing.
3) Prepare a Person Specification Think about
what your ideal candidate for this job would be like. What
skills, experience, attitudes and qualifications should they
have? You also need to identify which of these
attributes are essential for the tasks to be completed
effectively and which are 'nice to haves'.
4) Write and place the job advertisement Once
the job description and person specification are prepared, you
are then ready to prepare a job advertisement. The
more defined you can make the advertisement the more likely it
is that you will attract those who possess the identified
prerequisite attributes.
Think carefully about who you are trying to attract, when deciding where to
place your job advert. If there is a trade journal for your industry this is a
good place to advertise your vacant position because the readership is drawn
from your target market. Alternatives to advertising in the press include the
use of an employment agency or promoting the role through your local job
centre.
The advertisement should make clear the closing deadline for all applications
and the form of response you would prefer to receive. For example, do you want
to receive CVs, completed application forms or phone calls initially?
5) Shortlist Candidates All applications need to be reviewed to
create a shortlist. You need to think about how well each candidate measures up
to the person specification you have created.
6) Interview the shortlisted candidates Before you start
interviewing, you should spend time deciding upon the structure and content of
the interviews. Prepare a series of questions you will ask every candidate, to
enable you to gather the same information to help you compare.
Try to use open-ended questions that encourage candidates to talk about their
skills and experience and how this will help them to complete the role's tasks.
Depending on the role you may also want to get the candidates to complete a test
to assess their capability. An example of this would be a speed typing test
when recruiting for a secretary.
7) Select the best candidate Once you have interviewed all of
the shortlisted applicants, you can then make your selection based on the
information gathered.
8) Notify Applicants of the outcome Inform the successful
candidate of your decision as soon as possible, first by phone. If they accept,
a written offer of employment should be made highlighting the main terms
including their start date, salary, hours of work, probationary period, and
their entitlement to a pension, sick pay and holiday.
When the applicant has accepted the written offer and you have checked their
references, you can then inform the other applicants that they were successful.
9) What next? When your new employee starts work, you will need
to provide induction training which should convey information about:
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The company
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Their role and reward package
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Practical issues such as health and safety procedures
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Where to obtain assistance if required
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HR policies and procedures
You will also need to add them to your payroll and sort out their National
Insurance and PAYE (income tax). The Inland Revenue is a source of further
information about these matters.
Points to be aware of during the recruitment and selection
process:
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Current employment legislation in relation to:
Discrimination -You must not discriminate against candidates on
the basis of race, sex, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or
religion. Any discrimination due to pregnancy or maternity is automatically
unfair.
Eligibility to work in the UK - as an employer you are
responsible for ensuring that employees are legally allowed to work in the UK.
Working conditions -Your contract of employment must comply
with current legislation defining working terms and conditions.
It is therefore a good idea to seek advice from a professional employment law
adviser when recruiting.
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Potential eligibility for financial assistance - If you have a suitable vacancy
and sign up to become a New Deal employer, you will be eligible for financial
support for a limited period of time. Contact your local Job Centre for
information.
Your recruitment and selection process also acts as a marketing exercise.
Candidates are potential customers too so treat them fairly and courteously
throughout.
Key Action Points
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Before embarking on a recruitment programme consider alternative ways of
increasing capacity.
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Adopt the recruitment process outlined or implement something similar.
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Seek the advice of an employment law specialist concerning legislation
applicable to your business. Local Chambers of Commerce and Businesslink
may be able to provide support here.
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Seek advice from the Inland Revenue concerning National Insurance and PAYE.
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Seek advice from your local Job Centre regarding your eligibility to
participate in any government initiatives.
References
ACAS - National Helpline: 08457 47 47 47 www.acas.org.uk
ACAS Publications: 08702 42 90 90
Business Link - 0845 600 9 006 www.businesslink.org
www.cipd.co.uk
www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk
www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk