Hiring Your First Employee – A Guide for Startups
Making formal adjustments to a business for the first time might be unfamiliar, but with enough organization, it can run smoothly.
There are a few steps that need to be taken before committing to employing a candidate, but they are simple enough to overcome. Acting as soon as you feel it is time to hire an employee is important to prevent delays, and it is possible to change your mind halfway through. Use this guide for further research and to help in deciding how to go forward with hiring.
How to Hire Your First Employee
1. Obtain Your EIN
An employer identification number (EIN) must be obtained before proceeding with recruitment as it provides the identification of a business entity; however, it is easy to apply for an EIN online.
2. Organize Tax Matters
Once an employee is hired, the employer is responsible for withholding the correct amount of salary or pay, Medicare and Social Security tax payments to send to the IRS. The employer will also have to arrange federal tax withholding, federal wage and tax statement, and state taxes.
3. Set Up Insurance
Business insurance that includes workers’ compensation insurance is important for businesses to have before employing staff. This protects both the employer and employee because if a worker is injured or becomes ill during their time at the company, they can receive pay that is covered by the insurance.
4. Prepare the Job Ad
Once the formalities are out of the way, it is time to prepare the job title and description for advertising. Proceed to post the vacancy on job sites and social media to reach potential employees and start receiving applications.
5. Shortlist, Interview, and Hire
Narrow down the applications to the most suitable candidates for the role, either manually or using recruiting software to accelerate the process. Following the shortlisting, it is time to organize and complete the interviews. Based on the interviews, form a decision on who would be most suitable for the role and confirm the offer of employment (subject to background checks).
6. Run a Background Check
If the employee accepts the offer of employment with requirements, the next step is to run background checks. Screening an employee ensures that they have not been dishonest about their records, for example, criminal or credit history.
7. Check Immigration Status
Employers are responsible for ensuring that employees hired are legally allowed to work in the country, and failure to do so can result in fines and criminal penalties.
Why You Could Benefit from Hiring an Employee
It can be difficult for a startup to know when the right time is to hire the first employee. To make the decision, it is crucial to consider how doing so would benefit the company. Hiring an employee can help to:
- Keep up with demand instead of turning customers away
- Increase productivity and, as a result, profits
- Run the company
- Grow ideas with a fresh perspective
- Improve the quality of the product/service
- Share the workload and allow breaks
- Offer support in decision-making
If these benefits could solve existing issues within a startup, it could be wise to get recruiting.
If you have decided that you are ready to hire, remembering these simple stages can help put you on track to welcoming your first-ever employee. Take the necessary steps to comply with relevant laws and regulations before going ahead with the recruitment process to enjoy the benefits of having help to run your business worry-free.
