Top HR Tips for Entrepreneurs

By Caroline McEnery, The HR Suite

Recruiting the right people for your business is an important undertaking and it is something that as a small business owner you need to think about. Even if you feel your business is not at that stage yet, it’s critical to start thinking and planning ahead to make sure to that you get the process right when you are ready.

While you are researching the market and putting your business plan together, it’s important you also consider the type of skills and experience you will need as your business gets going. Some businesses will need to recruit staff from the very beginning and for others, it will mark an important milestone in your business growth when you are ready to take on employees.

Getting the right on-board at the right time and with the right skills is exciting and it can also be daunting for any small business owner. It is for that reason that we have out together this guide to follow when you are considering the right people for your business.

1. Organisational culture

A company culture is a combination of your vision, and how your business and employees act. That sounds complicated but when you break it down, a lot of this is what you will have already defined in your business plan. It could be that the unique selling proposition for your business will be to provide clients with honest service or to offer customers the highest possible standards of customer care.

Now what you need to do is communicate these to your new employees so that they know from the beginning what your business is about, where you what the business to go and the values that are important so that you get there with integrity.

There are a number of ways to pass your organisational culture to new employees beginning at the start of their employment through training and reinforcing it throughout the employees development with the company. The business standard you set will be the standard you get, so make sure you are clear about what values and behaviours are required and expected from each member of your team. Remember engaged employees will be committed to the organisation and its values.

2. Organisation structure & person specification

Take some time to establish what skills the business will need as it grows. Each new team member should ideally bring with them specialised knowledge and experience and will enable you to better manage your business.

Begin by drafting an organisation structure, job descriptions and person specifications so you have a clear picture of the type of skills you will need. Even if these look like items look like a ‘wish list’ for the moment, they will help you to hone your focus on what future requirements you will have.

3. Recruitment & Selection

When you are ready to start recruiting ensure that you are using the most relevant recruitment portal to reach potential employees. There are a wide number of free and paid for recruitment options available to do and some you could check out include using the #jobfairy on Twitter or the Welfare.ie ‘Find a Job’ service which is also free to use. Alternatively you could look at paid sites like irishjobs.ie or if the role requires a very specific skill set, you could consider using a recruitment consultant.

4. The Interview

Remember that the interview is a two way process used for both parties to elicit information. As a potential employer, you will be measuring the candidate’s responses against pre-determined criteria you have about the suitable person for the role, the job specifications and the competencies needed for the role. For the potential employee, they should be trying to establish if the role is a good fit for them and their career plan.

5. Induction

Once you have made your selection, it is important to spend time developing a staff induction program. This will serve to welcome your new appointee to the company, deliver critical information about the organisation, its culture and about the role itself. It is also useful at this stage to clarify what both parties expect from the employment relationship. Addressing employee expectations now will often reassure the new employee that they have made the right employment decision and also ensure greater job satisfaction in the long term.

6. Performance review

Make sure you meet employees often during the probationary period and for regular reviews throughout their employment to ensure that the employee is clear on what's expected. Reviews give you the opportunity to give and receive feedback to ensure the employees performance is at the required standard. Performance reviews are a great opportunity to iron out any issues before they become a bigger problem.

7. Motivating Employees

As recruiting, inducing and training the right staff and team members is expensive and time consuming for any business, reducing staff turnover is important to consider. You could look at ways to use benefits to motivate and reward employees that do not have to include payment for example, pre-payday pizza or by offering additional annual leave.

Tips on Recruitment and Employee management by Caroline McEnery