Running a business from home is fantastic. You can work at your own pace. You can be flexible. You can say no when you want to. Most importantly, you can run your business your way, without having to appease anyone else. Most people that work from home love it and would never want to work for anyone else again.
But, at some point, home businesses start to grow. They reach the point where they need an extra pair of hands, or more, to handle demand while providing the same excellent service. This is, of course, a good thing. But, hiring staff brings its own complications. Here’s a look at some of the things that you should ask yourself before drafting that job ad.
Do You Understand Employment Law?
Hiring a staff member isn’t the same as asking a friend for help packing or taking on a freelancer for a specific task. When you hire someone, you bring them into your team. You have a duty of care towards them, and a legal obligation to pay them, but also to look after them when they are working for you. Before hiring, you might want to look into hr software for small business to make growing a team easier.
Are You Ready to Commit to Permanent Staff?
You might need help today, but will you in a month? A year? Two years?
Hiring a member of staff or a small team isn’t a quick fix. It’s a commitment. Once that person has a contract with you, you have a responsibility. You need to keep paying them, even when things aren’t going as well.
Are you ready to make that kind of commitment? Or, would you be better hiring temporary staff or outsourcing work to freelancers on a short-term basis?
Do You Know Exactly What You Need?
It can be tempting to hire the first person that comes along, to save time and money on recruitment. But, this leads to high staff turnover and isn’t the best for your business. Instead, take your time to figure out what skills you need, how many people you need, and what you can afford. Take your time to find the right people so that you can start building an efficient team.
Are You Ready to Delegate?
Often one of the hardest parts of hiring staff for the first time is actually trusting them with your business. Are you ready to delegate tasks? Are you willing to give up some control? Finding the right people can make this easier, but you still have to be willing to share at least some of your business, as well as some of your success.
Hiring staff means that your business is ready to grow. Taking care to find the right people, those who bring their own skills and talents to your table, while complimenting your own, is crucial. But, it’s not always as easy as it seems. Work with someone with HR experience to draft contracts, ensure you stay within the law, and protect your business.
