Becoming an employer for the first time can be daunting, and it can be difficult to know where you stand on an ethical and legal basis. There are some considerations that every employer needs to think about, though, regardless of the industry they work in or how they operate their company on a day-to-day basis. As such, here are some of the top elements that you should work on before you even set up a recruitment process.
1. Health and Safety
It is no good employing a great team of dedicated staff if they are just going to get injured on the job in the first few weeks. As an employer, you have a duty to keep everyone in your building safe and sound throughout the working day. This is not only relevant for potentially risky or dangerous jobs, such as those operating machinery. Slip and falls can happen anywhere, and office environments can create a wealth of back problems and vision issues. Rather than believe it is up to your employees to look after themselves and stay sensible, you should research every employers responsibilities for health and safety so that you know you are on the right lines. This can include aspects such as proper training and air purification.
2. Your Work Environment
However, work environments are not only poor if they are hazardous. The working environment that you offer your employees can be detrimental to them if it is busy and chaotic and if it does not allow them to perform their duties efficiently. This means that you should think about your office layout in detail. For instance, you might choose a closed-plan office that can allow your team to work in peace and maintain focus. You should also think carefully about the technology that you bring into your office and the lighting that you install. Most employers also need to pick the right color scheme and décor, as this can change your employee’s mood and make them excited to come to work each day. Not only this, but you might add in plants to boost mental health in the workplace and purify the air. By doing this, you will be ensuring that your employees have a pleasant experience when they are working for you.
3. The Company Culture
Sometimes, whether your company is great to work for is not only down to the office environment. Sometimes, it is something far less physical. Although the company culture you create and encourage might not be tangible, it can vastly change your employees’ opinions of their workplace. This means that you should make the effort to cultivate a culture that promotes teamwork and fosters progress, achievement, dedication and collaboration. This can push your employees to have a positive attitude and mindset and make sure that they are focused and productive throughout the day. This can also inspire them to share new ideas with you and the rest of your team that can benefit the business in the long run.
4. Your Policies
Although you might already have a range of policies in your business’s name, it is vital that you take another look at these when you start to employ team members. This can help to protect you and your employees and ensure that everyone feels comfortable and safe. This will also give you and your staff guidance so that they know what to do in almost any given situation. For instance, you need to write down your stance and your protocols for bullying, discrimination and harassment in the workplace. By highlighting your no-tolerance stance on the issue, you can prevent people from harming others and causing negativity and distress.
5. Your Recruitment Process
None of this matters at all unless you are able to establish a strict and comprehensive recruitment process that weeds out the best candidates, though. To do this, you should ensure that your recruitment process has multiple stages and that you ask for a cover letter for each candidate. You should also ensure that you speak to each individual in person or on the phone before you employ them and that you ask a variety of unusual and insightful interview questions. This will allow you to get to know them and to see whether they will fit into your company culture. As a follow-up, you need to produce an excellent and rigorous onboarding process that can hold your employees’ hands as they settle into your business. This can prevent them from feeling overwhelmed and lost in their first days in the office.
