As your business grows (perhaps with a little help from our qualified sales leads), more staff will be needed to handle the increasing workload.
There’s plenty to think about when employing staff for the first time. This guide will make sure you don’t forget anything.
Employing staff for the first time
Becoming an employer is an exciting moment for any business owner. At the same time, however, it can feel daunting. After all, there’s a lot to be aware of and do when hiring staff for the first time.
- Decide how much to pay staff (this must be at least National Minimum Wage)
- Ensure employee has the legal right to work in the UK
- Get employer’s liability insurance
- Provide employee with a written statement of employment
- Register as an employer with HM Revenue & Customs
Setting up a payroll
Employees need to be paid. And to pay them you’ll need to set up a payroll.
All of your employees for must receive their own unique payslip before or on the date they’re due to be paid. Whether that’s weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
You can either take care of putting the payslips together yourself or you can hire a payroll provider. Payroll providers, such as accountants, can provide employees with payslips, make payments to HMRC and keep track of employee records.
Find out more about how to run a payroll in our Guide to Payslips for Tradespeople.
Employer’s liability insurance
Any business with at least one employee must have employer’s liability insurance. This is not only a recommendation but required by law. By taking out employer’s liability insurance, your business will be covered in the event that an employee is injured whilst working for your company.
Choose not to take out employer’s liability insurance and you could receive a £2,500 fine for every day that you don’t have it.
Register new employees
Every time you hire a new employee, it’s up to you to register them with HMRC. To do this, you need payroll software. There are lots of options when it comes to payroll software and it’s essential if you choose to run payroll yourself. The payroll software can then be used to work out your new employee’s tax code.
The easiest way to do this is using their P45. If the employee doesn’t have a P45 then you’ll need to visit the HMRC website to work it out.
Finding staff you want to hire
Before everything that comes with hiring an employee in terms of legalities, you need to find the right candidate for the role. This means advertising the position and then interviewing potential candidates.
There are plenty of recruitment agencies that can take care of this for you. Simply provide them with details of the role and they’ll find suitable candidates.
If you don’t want your search for an employee to come at a cost then you can take on the search yourself. There are plenty of places to advertise a vacancy:
- Your company website
- Social media channels
- Recruitment websites (such as Indeed)
- Ask others in your industry for referrals
- Attend career days and job fairs
In the event that you were unable to hire a candidate who was well suited to the role, it’s worth asking them if you can hold onto their application for future opportunities. That way, if you need to hire for that role again, you could potentially speed up the process.
Leave marketing your business to us
If you’re looking to get your company seen by more people in your area then we can help.
Over 3 million customers visit our website every year and your business can benefit from our marketing experience.
At Boiler Guide, we’re asked by homeowners to connect them with local tradespeople on a daily basis. We then confirm they’re happy to receive quotes from local tradespeople before making the lead available to buy.
As well as access to qualified leads, you’ll get a free company listing on Boiler Guide or Solar Guide. This is a great way to get your business seen online by more people looking for a tradesperson within your coverage.
Interested? Sign up for free today and take a look at the leads available in your area.
- Pay-as-you-go
- No hidden fees
- Free marketing for your business
Read this next:
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