Hiring your first employee

You have thought it out well and finally, your business has reached a stage where you have enough work for a person to work for you full/part time! Congratulations! You know that you will need to hire soon but are not sure how you will go through the process! Keep reading while I take you through the process of hiring an employee.

Your main concerns might be: 

1. What to do before hiring?
2. How to hire?
3. How to help your new employee settle in?
4. How to fire an employee?

What should YOU do before you hire an employee?

The first thing to do is to determine what you actually need. Which areas do you need help in? This process is almost halfway done by the time you realize you need to hire someone. But now, you need to think whether there will be enough work for the person you hire to keep them busy in their working hours.Before you consider hiring someone make sure that the work is not something you can outsource or collaborate for. These options are easier if you need help for a shorter period of time. When you hire an employee, you will not only need enough work, but also regular work. Think about all these aspects before you decide to even start looking for someone.

How to hire?

You can look for people you know to hire them, or you can start looking for new-to-you candidates by publishing an advertisement or a call to apply. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind when you write your Call for Candidate (advertisement or listing or even messaging acquaintances).

• Your listing must have information about your company and your work culture.
• It should have a clear description of the Job title, expectations and responsibilities.
• If there is a certain skill set that you require the candidate to have (a software that they need to be well versed with) mention it.
• Compensation, perks (if any) and benefits clear.

Before you start the interview procedure, make a list of EVERYTHING you expect the person to do for you. Time yourself doing the stuff and multiply it by 1.5 (you have been doing it for a while so you're obviously faster). That will be the time required for them to finish the tasks. Then multiply by the current hourly rate that is popular in your industry in your region. Check with a few friends who do what you do or similar work. That should be the compensation you should be willing to pay the person. Be ready to negotiate a little. When I employed my first assistant, I told her, "You work on the salary that I say for a month. After that if you do the work like the way I want, I will pay you the salary that you want!" It worked remarkably! I got to know how efficient she was and she got to know how much work there was actually to be done here.

How do you know who is right for you?

My best suggestion when it comes to hiring employees is to let them do the talking at the interview. Ask them enough questions to get them talking. Do not waste your time on rhetoric questions. Ask open ended questions that will get them speaking. Their manner of speaking, the words they choose as well as their knowledge will all tell you if they are the right person for you. If you are hiring for a skilled job, you can ask them to bring along something that shows off their skills. Even better, you can ask them to demonstrate their skills. Make sure you explain all the responsibilities to them. There should be no surprises later.

Like you expect to get the best person to do your job, you should also be the best employer for your new recruit. How can you do this? Pay well. You want the best work, they want the best pay. A little generosity will get a lot done. But do not overdo it, or your employee will expect the same.

How to help your new employee settle in?

It is essential for both you and your new hire that you help them settle into their new role in your team. Here are a few ideas to help you do that.

• Show them around. Show them where they will be working. Where the coffee machine (or the pantry) is. Where the toilet is. Show them everything they will be using.
• Introduce them to your team. Introduce them to everyone else who works for you. As you do this make their designation and role clear so that those who will be working directly with them are aware of their position.
• Give them a few days to get the hang of how things work. Assign them a work-buddy if you can.
• Be friendly. Check in with them regularly to ask if they have any concerns. 
• Define their responsibilities clearly. Do not have any ambiguous 

There are a few ways you can make their experience better and also by 

I suggest a rewards system. I use this even for my maids at home. If they complete all of their allotted work in the month and do not take a single holiday, I give them a 10% Bonus! That way they are motivated to  not take a holiday.

You can also tie in some non-monetary rewards. Every year, in Navaratri, I send all my domestic staff to Kolhapur to visit the Mahalaxmi temple. It means a lot to the women in Maharashtra and they really appreciate it. I also invite them to lunch on one of the days. They totally enjoy it! Be innovative with your ideas! Do small things everyday that will help you connect to them.

Remember their birthdays. Remember their children's names. Inquire about their health when they seem a little off. Ask them how they feel about their work. If you find them excelling in their work, ask them if they would be willing to take on more duties.

How to fire an employee?

Sometimes everyone does everything right yet things dont work out and you have to tell your employee to leave. I personally find this to be the most difficult task. I have pushed through with an unfavorable employee for over 8 months because I did not know how to tell her that she was not the right fit for my studio!

Here are a few things that can help you. The first would be to give regular performance feedback. Even if you have only one employee, get into the habit of having a monthly performance meeting. It does not have to be formal. Just sit down over a cup of coffee and talk about how they are performing. Are they working up to your expectations? Are there any changes that they need to do? Keep the conversation light and friendly and you will avoid a lot of uncomfortable situations. Firmly, but gracefully, show them areas where they need to work on. And at the next meeting give them an evaluation. If the offence is repeated over and over - warn them in no uncertain words that it might result in their termination.

Once you have decided to terminate someone, be very clear when you talk to them. Tell them that they have been terminated and their duties are no longer required. Tell them when they are expected to leave the premises and make sure that they do. If possible, previously pack their things into a box or a bag and keep them ready for them to take when they leave. That way you can be assured that they are not leaving with any of your important tools or documents.

Firing will be stressful for them as well as for you. So keep yourself calm and avoid raising your voice. There is no point in arguing with someone when you know they will not be working for you again. Assure them (if they have not committed any offence like theft or damage to property) that you will give them a letter (or word) of recommendation if they require it.

I'm hoping that my article will be useful to you. How many employees do you have in your business? Who was your first hire? Have you ever fired anyone of them?