by Think about what you actually need, what skills and experience you are looking for but think also whether you actually need a permanent person. Maybe you are just in a period of heavy workload so would an agency member of staff help you over the immediate demand without creating lasting obligations if you find out you don’t actually need them long term (remember the Agency Workers Regs which give additional rights after 12 weeks employment).
If you believe you do need someone permanently think about what you might need in the near future, not just what you need to cope with immediate demands . Give thought to the kind of personal qualities your business will benefit from as well as the skills. In the early stages of your business growth maybe an employee with a flexible attitude to change who is able to cope with conflicting demands maybe valuable to you? Maybe you need someone who is able to work on their own rather than someone who needs to be in a team?
When you are clear about what you want plan how you are going to find this person. Start by writing a job description, which lists the general duties and responsibilities that the postholder will have. Write a person specification which defines the skills, knowledge, attitude and experience that you require then draft a brief advert to attract applications from potential candidates. Plan your interviews, drafting the questions that you will ask to help you match each candidate against your job description and, without fail, include some practical testing in the process. Anyone can tell you, for example, that they can answer the phone professionally and take accurate messages, but getting them to actually do this in a role play scenario can reveal a whole new realm of inability!
Yes it’s time consuming but it’s a lot less damaging and time consuming than spending weeks trying to train someone to do a job who hasn’t got the basic ability or motivation to learn. It could be the best investment you ever make.
