As business owners, we’re always finding reasons to grow our team.

Whether it’s because we’ve identified a new revenue stream to capitalise on, or we need more manpower to handle our incoming leads, or we need someone to help lighten our workload, hiring always seems to be on our radar.

But finding great employees who’ll bring value to the company is easier said than done. 

Here are a few tips we think could help you navigate the pitfalls of the hiring process.

What’s the cost of hiring a new employee?

Unfortunately, just because your business needs a new employee, doesn’t mean it can afford one.

The costs of hiring go beyond your new team-member’s salary. Here are some of the hidden expenses to consider before jumping into the hiring process.

1. Workspace and equipment

Brainstorm what kind of resources your new hire will need to be effective. Can you afford to provide them?

2. Payroll tax

Will this new hire take you over the payroll tax threshold? You can check your state government’s website to find out.

3. Recruitment, training, and management

Your new hire won’t just cost money, but time as well. Will this new hire save you more time than it’ll take to find and onboard them?

How to find good candidates?

Now that you’re sure hiring is a good idea, it’s time to source some candidates for your job opening. There are a few ways you can do this.

1. Hire a recruitment agency

Hiring a recruitment agency can be costly, but they'll save you an equal amount of time and effort. Your recruitment agency will attract high-quality candidates, sort through their applications, and present you with the cream of the crop.

2. Advertise on job search sites

Websites like Seek and Indeed allow you to advertise your job to millions of potential candidates with minimal costs. The downside, you’ll have to sort through all the applications yourself.

3. Headhunt on LinkedIn

Linkedin is a social media platform which allows you to actively search for your dream candidate, instead of waiting for them to come to you. Unfortunately, this method may be the most time-consuming of them all.

How to interview a new employee?

Your candidates will walk into their interviews with answers written, rehearsed, and ready to go, which can make it hard to figure out whether they're really the right fit.

These interview strategies will help you get past the scripted answers for a better understanding of your candidates.

1. Ask out-of-the-box questions

Your candidates will be prepared for generic ‘interview’ questions. Get a deeper insight into their character and skill set by asking how they’d deal with specific situations they could encounter in your workplace.

2. Get your team to help

Introduce candidates to your team and see what initial impressions they have. You’re not the only one who’ll have to work with your new hire, so your staff should have a say too.

3. Get away from the office

The formality of an interview can make it hard to gauge your candidate. Take them out for coffee and see how they behave in a more natural setting.

And now, all that’s left to do is decide who you’ll hire, and reap the benefits of having another set of hands to help take care of your business.

Of course, if you don’t want the hassle of sourcing candidates, interviewing them, and budgeting for hidden costs, you can always consider offshoring.

Already familiar with outsourcing and offshoring?

Ask arnocas how we can help you find the best employees to grow your business risk-free.