Recruiting new members of staff is a serious business.
Wage costs are the single biggest monthly cost for many companies, but, the financial implications of contracting a new employee can be much bigger than you might expect.
Before you begin looking for new staff, it is definitely worth checking whether you really need to expand
When buying a business, invariably you will buy the existing staff as part of the package. You may find that you need additional staff at the time of takeover, or further down the line.
Under current employment law, you are liable for sickness and maternity pay, as well as having to make provision for holidays. You are also partly responsible for your new employee’s health and safety in the workplace.
Do you really need to recruit?
So, before you begin looking for new staff, it is definitely worth checking whether you really need to expand. Many companies assume that their need or desire for expansion translates into a need for extra staff; but that is not always the case.
Reorganising the company structure, sharing work among staff, promoting existing staff, asking part-timers if they will go full-time, or adopting flexible working environments can often be better options than recruitment.
It remains absolutely vital that you regularly look at your business objectives and check whether your staff are sufficient both in number and skills to achieve them.
Interview tips
- Welcome the candidate, make them feel at ease
- Introduce yourself and briefly explain what the interview will involve
- Detail background of business, background on role
- Encourage candidate to talk about skills and experience, why they applied
- Ask open-ended questions
- Keep control of interview
- At the end of interview, ask if they have any questions
- Inform them of the next stage of the process
- Thank the candidate for their time
- (The structure can be adapted. You may want to include an exercise or test)
Questions
According to Business Link, the Government-backed service dedicated to helping new and small businesses, there are several questions you should ask yourself if you are thinking of recruiting.
It says: “If you are running a business and want to expand, you will need to consider the best options for meeting your new needs – these could include outsourcing, training or upskilling existing staff as well as taking on new staff.”
“Taking on people will always mean some form of investment for your business. But it’s equally important to remember that taking your investment seriously can make it more valuable.”
Often, recruitment will be a response to the departure of an existing employee. In this case, you have to decide why he or she left and analyse what the company has lost as a result.
It is important to verify whether your business needs new skills if it is to achieve its objectives. This could be because your targets have changed; or it might be because new technologies or systems have emerged that your business must master in order to compete.
Still more commonplace, however, is recruitment in response to an increase in workload. In this case, you need to seriously consider whether this situation is temporary or permanent – if it is the latter, the best routes may be asking your existing staff to work overtime or using temporary staff rather than taking on a new, full-time employee.
Examining whether you can afford to increase your staff is, perhaps, the most crucial part of the whole process. You must remember that costs are not just restricted to wages, perks, tax and national insurance. It may also involve buying a new desk, computer or other equipment – or providing training courses.
