First impressions prove paramount for businesses when it comes to the first hire. Especially as a startup, no matter your product or service, your first hire must fit the intended role and fully understand what you’re trying to do, convey, or deliver — from the esoteric, to the messaging, to something as basic as creating a safe workplace. As a budding entrepreneur, your first hire will essentially act as a second you — someone who shares the same zeal for your brand as you do.
Imagine your business is one in which a safe workplace ranks above all other priorities regarding your ROI. If you are producing consumer goods, your primary culture becomes a safe workplace. Your workers must be attentive, conscientious, well trained, and methodical. Otherwise, injuries to either employees or customers can lead to litigation that can sink your company before it ever sets full sail.
Using the safe workplace example, following are some main tenets to ponder when making your first hire.
Don’t discount outsourcing. Some companies offer employees already skilled in the type of work culture you demand. You may feel your culture is unique—it’s natural to be proud of your new baby—but you might be surprised how many close cousins exist in your marketplace. According to Inc., you can stand to save some precious training time, indoctrination and even wages when you can find the perfect candidate through an outsourcing company.
You are responsible for your hire. According to Entrepreneur magazine, you not only need to ensure your first hire shares your devotion to whatever reigns supreme in your work culture, but you also must prioritize his or her welfare and success. The relationship between employer and first hire as it pertains to goals is symbiotic.
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Be open and receptive to your new hire. Transparency can determine whether your new hire excels and embodies your work culture or completely flounders, resulting in a dent in profits or production. For example, where a safe workplace comes before all else in your operation, you must provide your new hire with manuals, procedural dictates, and the equipment or implements that facilitate safety. A new hire who knows all questions are welcome when it comes to safety will be one who minimizes disaster for your business.
Avoid costly incidents by utilizing drug tests. When a safe workplace is essential to productivity, drug testing should be an essential part of your new-hire regimen. Your first hire should understand the importance of drug screening, and your drug testing should safeguard your business while also respecting your employees’ rights.
Know why you are hiring. Above all, make hiring your first employee a top priority. Your first hire must align with your overall mission and culture. And while many may disagree, your first hire can truly contribute to your business’s success or failure.
