How to Start the Hiring Process for Your New Startup

As an entrepreneur, hiring a new employee to join your ranks can be both exciting and nerve-racking. You may be thrilled to see your business grow to the point where you need to bring on extra help, but you may also be concerned about hiring the right individual to assist you. After all, making a poor hiring decision in this early stage in the game can be devastating to your business reputation, your finances and more. If you are preparing to start looking for a skilled and qualified candidate to join your business, focus on these helpful tips to guide your efforts.

Create a List of Job Duties and Responsibilities

While your business may be small currently, you should still approach the hiring process in a professional way. This means that you should begin the process by developing a reasonable list of job duties and responsibilities that you want the individual to handle for you. The list should be suitable for the type of position that you are hiring for, including based on the job title as well as whether the position is full-time or part-time.

Develop a Competitive Compensation Package

Many job seekers look for a position that has excellent compensation and benefits alike. They may also look for growth potential and the ability to make great industry connections. Because your business is smaller, you may not be able to offer the same types of benefits available at a larger company. For example, your small business may not offer health insurance or a retirement plan. To compensate for the lack of benefits that may be available with other positions, you should plan to offer a reasonably higher salary than what is average or typical for the position. This is essential if you want to attract and retain top talent at a startup.

Confirm Skills and Credentials

Many job seekers spend considerable time tweaking their resume until it glows, and some will unfortunately artificially inflate their level of skills, training or experience in order to be considered for better positions. Because it is critical that you hire only qualified applicants, consider creating interview questions or even interview tests to confirm skills and credentials before you extend an offer of employment.

Be Transparent About Current and Future Needs

During the interview process, job seekers will be examining your business and the position to determine if they want to pursue the opportunity. This means that you should use the interview process to screen candidates as well as to sell the position and the company to top candidates. Be clear with candidates about the current duties and responsibilities, but talk about realistic growth potential and how the position may change in the future. For example, the individual may take on a managerial role when other employees are added to the department.

Seek Hiring Assistance When Needed

The hiring process can be tedious and stressful for busy owners and managers. Many entrepreneurs are swamped with the process of running their business on their own or with minimal help from a small team, and finding extra time in their day to review resumes and to interview candidates can be challenging. A smart idea may be to hire a recruiter to assist with the process. The recruiter can screen resumes, conduct qualifications tests and send only the most qualified candidates to you for a final interview.

Creating new positions in your company and expanding your team are signs of business growth and prosperity. However, making a poor hiring decision can impact customer service, company reputation, client satisfaction, your own available time during the day and more. You simply cannot afford to make a poor hiring decision when your company is still young and struggling to grow every step of the way. With this in mind, consider how these important tips can assist you in making a great hiring decision for your current and future job openings.