Hiring Employees for Your Home Based Business
A Home Business Article Contributed by Alyssa Yerga
When Your Home Based Business Gets Too Big
As a home based business owner, it will be a source of pride to see your business flourish into a success. Hard work, sacrifice, and dedication are necessary to build a business, but can take a toll on the owner, especially if you work alone. There may come a time when you'll need to find help in the form of employees. Of course, you'll have to go through your budget to make sure you can really sustain an employee (and possibly benefits). Also check out zoning laws in your area to make sure you're within the legal limits.
Screening Possible Employees for Your Home Based Business
It may be necessary to help grow the business to bring in employees, but that doesn't make it any easier. In this case, when dealing with a home based business, the operative word is home. It's one thing to deal with service or delivery people, it's another entirely to give someone access to the place you and your family live. Resumes or applications will be helpful in the screening process.
The resume will give you insight into the education and employment history of the potential employee and may give you clues to their work ethic. Take note of awards, average length of time spent at each job, and number of promotions received at any of the jobs. Don't use the resume as your only basis for whether the candidate is qualified, however. There could be sound explanations for questionable facts.
The application, which you could create yourself, will give you more detailed information. Before you allow applicants to fill it out, be sure it complies with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines. You can ask for more specific information than is usually found on a resume like how many hours the potential employee can work and how much they expect to be paid. You can also ask for references, contact information and permission to contact current employers.
Another far less reliable way to check out potential employees is through the internet. You may be able to confirm he or she went to certain school or worked for a certain employer by searching the alma mater or company websites. But be careful. The information you find could be misconstrued or taken out of context. You could also be looking up the information for someone else with the same name. Be sure to verify any piece of information you find on the candidates and don't allow what you find on the internet to be what you base your decision on completely.
Interviewing Candidates for Your Home Based Business
The interview process isn't easy for anyone. However, a home based business gives you the advantage of being on your home turf, literally. Try and be as relaxed as possible so your candidate will be at ease and more likely to show his or her true colors. Ask open ended questions (again keeping Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines in mind). Observe their demeanor and attitude towards you. Listen to what they say about past employers and work experiences. Allow them to ask questions of you, and take note of the questions they ask.
After the interview contact references. This is where some applicants' stories can either be confirmed or torn apart. Listen to what the employer says about the candidate and how it is said. Is their warmth, affection, frustration, or anger in the voice?
If you've made it this far, you know running a home based business has many challenges and hiring the right people is just one of them. With research and patience you'll find the employee that complements your business and helps you on the road to success.
