At some point, the majority of businesses will need to hire an employee or two. Often, the owner of the business may run the show without any help - or with a business partner in tow. But when you realise that it is time to get another pair of hands on board, you are going to have to think about things a little differently. There is a whole range of issues that you will need to consider when you hire your first employee. Let’s take a look at a few of them:

Whatever the position is, it is imperative that you are 100% clear on what the role is all about. You'll need to especially ensure that the expectations and boundaries of that role are well-defined and that you express them clearly to your new employee. That helps to curb any confusion further down the line, and it can even act as a form of protection, should that employee end up not being the right person for the job. Define the role before you try to fill it.

After hiring just one person, you need to set up a payroll operation system and figure out how you are going to approach the issue of benefits and holiday. It is a legal requirement to do this, so there is no getting around it. But if you don’t have a fully-fledged HR suite in play, you might wonder how to make this a reality. Finding a decent employee holiday planner can be a good first step, along with some kind of basic payroll software. The better the software you’re using, the easier it will be to deal with.

We all know how gut-wrenching it can be to be interviewed for a post, but you might be surprised at just how nerve-wracking it can be on the other side of the table, too. Before you interview any candidates, be sure to know what you are going to ask, and to have a clear idea of what kind of person you are looking for. That will make the whole process much simpler.

There is plenty involved in hiring your first employee. Get these right, and you will be on the right track.