Recruiting a new staff member can be daunting and there are many factors to take into consideration before you begin the recruitment process.

Your budget

Can you afford to employ a new staff member and if so, can you maintain the sales required to cover wages long term? Looking at your business’ sales patterns, projected sales and gaining advice from your accountant can assist you in this area.

Casual or Permanent

After identifying that you require a new staff member you have 2 options to consider. If you have an immediate need for staff but are unsure of long term requirements or unpredictable sales, casual recruitment gives you the flexibility to change hours or terminate the position with minimum notice. If the position is an integral role within your company, such as management or technical positions, you may want to consider offering a permanent contract to assist in attracting suitable applicants. Permanent positions provide applicants with a feeling of security and quite often the applicants you are seeking for these roles will already be employed, so will not consider leaving their current position for a temporary contract.

If you are recruiting through a recruitment agency you may also have the option of temporary to permanent recruitment. This arrangement provides you with the opportunity to trial an employee on a temporary basis before offering them a permanent position, usually at a reduced permanent placement fee depending on your agreement with the agency.

Job Descriptions

Developing a clear job description is crucial and assists in streamlining your team. A detailed job description will provide your new staff member with a clear understanding of how they fit in to your organisation. If you are utilising the services of a recruitment agency, a detailed job description will also help them in their search for your new employee. An agency can only work with the information you provide to them, so the more detailed you are the more thorough their recruitment process will be.

Take your time

Rushing into recruiting new staff may be costly if you don’t get it right the first time. Taking a little more time to follow the right processes will ensure you don’t waste time training the wrong person, and have to go through the process all over again.

Ask for help

Recruiting a new staff member is time consuming and can be overwhelming. Contacting a local recruitment agency to discuss your options may be beneficial if you are in unfamiliar waters. Recruitment agencies can save you time and offer you invaluable services as part of their recruitment packages such as “replacement guarantees” which you can use as insurance if their first placement doesn’t work out as planned.