By The Book. What You Need To Consider When You Start Hiring

November 4, 2016

If your business is getting off the ground, you’re probably thinking about taking on an employee or two. Taking on employees is the dream we all have when first starting out, so it’s a real milestone to reach. Of course, it’s not all celebrations at this stage. Becoming an employer is a tremendous responsibility. Getting it wrong could cost you your business altogether. Take your time to ensure you’re employing in exactly the right way. Messing up a crucial step is sure to send your dream crashing down around you. Don’t let the put you off, though. Employing your first staff member will be your most satisfying business achievement to date. Doing a little simple research will help. It’ll also show you how to do things by the book.
CHECK YOUR EMPLOYEE’S RIGHT TO WORK
Before you employ anyone, you need to check their right to work. Asking for the right papers from your employee is crucial, but it’s also worth doing an extensive check. Employing someone who is unable to work in your country would be catastrophic for you. It is possible to hire a company to carry out some checks for you. This is a good way to go, as it allows you the peace of mind that a thorough check has been carried out. Depending on what your business is, you might even have to carry out criminal checks. Make sure you know what needs doing and get it done!
WRITE A CONTRACT
Writing a contract is another essential part of employing. A contract helps outline the conditions of employment for your employee. It also covers you if anything goes wrong. The contract can be as comprehensive, or as basic as you like. Either way, it’s crucial that you have one. Knowing where you each stand will make things a lot easier for you both. If you’re unsure where to start, there’s plenty of advice about drawing up contracts online.
ENSURE HEALTH AND SAFETY
Now you’re an employer, health and safety are your responsibility. If an accident happened because of negligence, it would be curtains for your business. You need to be looking for potential risks at all times and ensuring you remove any hazards. The easiest way to ensure health and safety are under control is to hire a health and safety consultancy. Having the responsibility of health and safety taken from your shoulders will be a real relief. You’ll also be able to rest assured that everything is under control.
REGISTER AS AN EMPLOYER
Registering as an employer takes no time at all. You can even register online. Making sure you register as an employer is imperative. Registering will ensure that you all pay the right amount of tax. You need to do this by the book to ensure its success. Trying to cut corners is going to make life harder than it needs to be. Registering yourself as an employer will cover your back. It will also make taxation and payment a lot easier.

Mark Asquith

That British podcast guy, Mark is co-founder of Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host. A Harvard, TEDx, Podcast Movement and Podfest speaker (amongst many more!), he's a wildly approachable Brit and Star Wars/DC Comics geek.

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