Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, once said, “When hiring somebody, I never ask to see a curriculum vitae. I feel that since I didn’t have one myself, it would be a bit presumptuous to ask to see anyone else’s.” While hiring the first employees for your start-up is a big deal that undoubtedly deserves some celebration, it can also be a stressful period. Making the wrong choices and not being adequately prepared for a staff intake can result in added responsibilities and expenses. Thankfully, a few basic guidelines will make it substantially easier to find the right employees and get them settled in their new jobs in a stress-free, timely manner.

Plan well ahead

Do not set yourself up for failure by waiting until the last minute to prepare both yourself and your start-up for taking on employees.  Finding the right employees takes time, and you want to give yourself enough time to advertise the available positions in the media, conduct interviews, and do the necessary training without having to rush. Also ensure that you have decided what benefits (such as health, dental and life insurance plans) you want to offer your prospective employees, and that you are well-versed in all the legalities surrounding being an employer. The law may require you to contribute towards unemployment tax, short-term disability programs, and workers comp insurance. The latter is especially important for protecting yourself against legal repercussions and your employees against a loss of income and huge medical bills should an accident or health risk present itself at work.

Hire someone with passion

Passion is one of the most important traits to look out for when hiring employees. Someone who is passionate about your company’s mission, products and services is bound to always give 100% at work. Many of the world’s great industry leaders will state that passion is often of more value than either qualifications or experience. It is easier to teach a passionate employee how to perform certain tasks than it is to teach someone how to be passionate about what they do. Although you should never try to hire a replica of yourself, you will find working with someone who shares your passions a lot easier and more enjoyable. By asking pertinent questions during an interview, or even compiling a short online questionnaire, you can easily gauge a candidate’s passions and intent.

Create a suitable induction program

Even the most passionate and capable employees can end up performing poorly if they do not undergo quality induction training. Induction training is an effective way to provide an employee with the knowledge required to do their tasks to the best of their ability. A good induction program is simple yet effective, and will aim to teach new hires basic things about their job, your expectations, and the culture of the organization. Make sure to highlight the employee’s responsibilities, your organizational structure, the employee code of conduct, and relevant health and safety information. Induction training for full-time employees typically lasts between two days and a week, and can be conducted in person or online through a Learning Management System (LMS).

Finding the right employees for your company is of great importance. Although it may seem rather stressful, even your first intake of employees can be relatively simple if you follow some basic tips and guidelines.