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Hiring your business’ first employee is always a big step, but one that is always worth taking. An employee can help to relieve your workload, provide an extra level of expertise, and provide a sounding board for ideas regarding the direction your business is to take.
However, there is no doubt that hiring an employee is a significant change – a positive one, but a change nevertheless. As a result, we thought it would be useful to provide a little insight as to what you can expect from the process…
#1 – Initial trust issues
Trusting employees is a serious issue for business owners and one that can be all the more problematic if you have previously been the only person responsible for your business. You may find that you hesitate when delegating tasks, or ask to verify or check things before they are completed. These feelings are entirely natural, but they do need to be fought back against. There’s no harm in occasionally checking in on progress, but if you’re checking (or contributing to your employee’s work) so frequently that you might as well be doing it yourself, then take a step back. The good news is that, in time, taking that step back will become far simpler – it’s just the initial phase that requires some adjustment.
#2 – Additional admin
A second member of staff will always place extra administrative requirements on your business, for which you will need to find the time in your existing schedule. If you use payroll software to help manage the entire process then you shouldn’t find this admin too burdensome. What’s more, if your first hire is a bookkeeper – as is very common – if you look to expand in the future, then the software will also be very useful when it comes to lightening their workload as your business expands further in the future.
#3 – A reorganization of your working habits
When working alone, you can largely organize your day as you see fit – if you want to take lunch at 10am or just work through lunch so you can finish at 4pm, then that’s your decision. With an employee, however, you’ll have another person to consider, which may mean that your working habits become a little more “rigid” so you can work at the same time as your employee’s scheduled hours every day.
#4 – A few occasional hiccups
Even with the best will in the world from both you and your employee, there will eventually be moments when something goes wrong. There’s no denying that, initially, these hiccups will be difficult to deal with; no entrepreneur is comfortable when something to do with their business doesn’t go as planned. However, it can be helpful to focus on the overall trend; yes, there’s an issue right now, but overall you can assess the value that hiring an employee has brought to your business – because ultimately, this is what really matters.
In conclusion
While hiring your first employee might feel like a dramatic shift – and to an extent, it is – it is ultimately the right choice for your business. Now you know what to expect, you can look forward, craft your job advert, and embark on this exciting new stage of your business’ life.
