Considerations when hiring your next employee

When you are a new or growing business, there is guaranteed to be one business function that is non-existent and that is Human Resources. To help you in your recruitment, attraction and retention process, here are some key items to consider when hiring your next employee:

• Personalities: When it is a small office and you can’t hide from each other, you really need to consider the personality type you want to inject into your company. Consider the role and the type of personality this role requires. Also consider a personality type that you get on with. For example, if you require an accounts person to chase invoices and deal with suppliers, you want someone who is patient, polite, excellent phone manner and tenacious. Also, make it a habit not to hire friends. It makes if difficult if things don’t work out.

• Skills: Sometimes you don’t have the time or resources to train someone for a critical role in your business. I recently recruited for a financial planning firm. They were looking for someone to fast-track to a financial planner within three years. The final two candidates were very different. The first had strong communication skills with a strong background in finance but no qualifications. The second candidate had financial planning qualifications, a strong desire to move into financial planning, experience in selling banking products, and reasonable communication skills. It was a tough decision for them but they chose candidate two in the end because it was a safer choice in theory. Training time won’t be as long and they won’t need to invest time in this person completing their qualifications.  
• Mental health: Many people in our society are affected by depression and other forms of mental health so it is no surprise that we work side by side with people who are mentally unwell. In a recruitment situation, asking about depression is not a typical or appropriate interview question. Depression, if untreated, can have an impact on a person’s productivity and their attendance.  If you want more information about mental health awareness, beyondblue has a free Workplace Mental Health Awareness e-learning Program that examines myths and misconceptions about depression and anxiety disorders and aims to increase awareness and understanding. It is a stand-alone resource specifically designed for workplaces. www.beyondblue.org.au

• Contract to permanent: Consider trialling someone first before committing them to the status of permanent employee – and all the benefits that come with that. One option is to offer the person a 3-6 month contract with a view to the position going permanent. Always consult the National Employment Standards if you require more further information on employment law – www.fairwork.gov.au.

If you require recruitment assistance, I work with SMEs on a fee for service basis so you get the service you need without paying an excessive fee at the end. Visit my recruitment arm of the business - www.liftrecruitment.com.au