Adding staff to help grow your business? Here are 5 key steps to take…

Every business has to start somewhere, and for many companies, that is with one individual. For some, that is how it remains and there are many examples of hugely successful sole practitioners operating across Northern Ireland, working across multiple sectors.

However, for most organisations, growing your business also means hiring new staff. Whether you are recruiting for the first time or are an established company taking on new workers, the process is not always straight forward.

Here, we outline the five key steps to take.

1. Check your business is ready to employ staff

Particularly important if you are recruiting for the first time, is to consider if your business is actually ready to employ staff. There are a number of considerations to make, such as what you will require the new employees to do, how constant the work is, how long it will last and the number of hours of work required each week. Determine the level of work needed, and you’ll have a good idea whether it is time to recruit.

2. Recruit someone

It seems obvious but the next step is to actually hire the employee. There are various ways to go about this, and it can be tempting to recruit somebody through a friend or family member, especially when starting out. This isn’t always the best avenue. Other ways of finding staff is through advertising or via a recruitment agency. You will need to interview shortlisted candidates and it pays to prepare for this to ensure a consistent approach.

3. Check if they need to be put into a workplace pension

As an employer, it is important to know your obligations in terms of pensions. It is likely, for example, that you will have to provide automatic enrolment on a pension scheme for your staff, depending on their age and salary. You will also need to think about the type of pension scheme you will offer and seeking help from an expert is advised.

4. Agree a contract and salary

When it comes to salary, it pays to take a formal approach. You should check the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage as it relates to different age groups and work types, ensuring that you remain compliant when making a job offer.

5. Tell HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) about your new employee

You need to inform HMRC on or before your new employee’s first pay day that they have commenced work. To do this, you’ll need to make sure you have all the relevant information from them, their P45 and whether they have a student loan to repay.

Ready to find out more about recruitment, or anything else that you need to help grow your business, not matter what stage it is at, Go Succeed is here to help you.

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