Employing Your First Employee: Avoiding the Pitfalls and Creating Successful Performance

by Jim Gilhooley of MorlanGil HR

So now you’ve done it! You have gone through the recruitment process and decided on the right person to join your business. (See my article: Hiring Smart: Smart Hiring). All successful and growing businesses at some point will think about employing their first member of staff. How do you now introduce them successfully and ensure their performance meets your requirements? Over the next three newsletters, I will be providing tips on the essential actions to take into account. In this issue I look at the legal angles.

Legalities and documentation

If done badly, this could completely undermine the employment relationship. The good news is that it is relatively easy to do well. Unfortunately, many first-time employers do not do this well. Key requirements are:

· Bespoke contracts of employment, covering all mandatory legal items, but also the additional items which are necessary to protect your business from other risks. Mandatory items include type of contact, pay and benefits, location of work, etc. Additional items can include use of internet/email/social media, when holidays can be taken, confidentiality, etc

· Relevant employment policies. These do not have to be extensive, but will include Disciplinary & Grievance, Conduct, Health & Safety, Sick Absence, Equal Opportunities and others which are particularly applicable to your business e.g. Restrictive Covenants.

· Focused Job Description communicating clearly what the new employee is expected to do within the first six months, together with any specific work objectives, training plans and the support to be provided.