4 Ways to Hire the Best Employees for Your Start-up

August 9 2019 - Regardless of the type of business you are building, the staff you employ will be imperative to the company's success. It is likely that you are investing a lot of your time and a portion of your capital into this venture, and it is now time to hire staff with the skills and drive that will help you to achieve your goal.

Choosing the right staff is not an easy task, so it is advisable to be cautious at this stage and only hire staff who will be indispensable to your team. There are many ways to hire people in today's digital world, and enlisting contractors and freelance professionals is much more common practice that you would expect

Utilise Your Contacts List

Throughout your career you will have encountered hundreds of motivated, hard-working and enthusiastic colleagues who may be open to new business ventures and dynamic opportunities. It is advisable to reach out to these people now and ask if they would like to join you in your new venture - this is the best way to hire your core body of employees because you know their abilities. Recent studies have shown that 85% of all jobs are filled via networking, so now is the time to start thinking creatively about you ex-colleagues, acquaintances, and even your university peers.

Don't Hire Family

This should go without saying, really. It is best practice to avoid hiring family members for a freelance venture because it can cause familial disruption and it may result in arguments. Hiring a family member within a start-up can also cause tensions between non-family members of staff and accusations of nepotism may start to have a negative effect on the work environment. Although contacting old contacts to help you is acceptable, it is advisable to be cautious about hiring people who are very close to you.

Know Who to Hire

When starting a business, you need to start small and grow slowly to avoid excess costs and the chance of losing profit. Therefore, you should only be hiring a handful of employees at this stage, forming the core of your company.

You will also need help with other spheres of the business, for example, in marketing. It is recommended that for smaller roles, rather than hiring someone to work for you once or twice a week, you consider hiring a freelance professional so that you are not committed to paying an excessive amount for staff members each month. Considering a freelancer is no longer a risk or concern because you can view their credentials online and even read previous employers' reviews.

Be Flexible

Nowadays, people move between jobs at a very fast rate, and hiring staff on a short-term basis is not unusual. It is worthwhile investing in a professional HR service to help you achieve this. For example, Interim HR and Consulting from Hunter Adams will be able to help hire the best candidate whether you need an employee for a month, or someone more permanent. Outsourcing to them will take the weight of a lengthy interview process off your mind.

Hiring staff for a start-up is extremely important, but it doesn't have to be a stressful process for anyone involved if you think creatively and fluidly about the employment process and the manpower you will need in the months ahead.

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