Avoiding Personnel Issues Before You Hire: a Guide for Small Businesses

You can avoid at least 75% of the most common personnel issues before your new employee begins working; in fact, most can be avoided even before you place your help wanted ad.

Know who you need.

You should make a list of the duties and tasks that the new employee will be expected to perform. Your list should be detailed to include even the most menial tasks, such as filing, restroom maintenance, backup phone support, and personal errands if necessary. Will the employee be expected to work the occasional (or every) weekend? Will there ever be mandatory overtime? Is the position full or part time? Are there benefits provided? Is the job performed on-site, or is there travel involved? What about the possibility of telecommuting? Use this list to develop a written job description. The job description will make placing your ad a breeze and will serve as a guideline for future performance reviews.

Be realistic in your expectations.

If you are hiring an entry-level administrative assistant, you can’t expect him or her to develop annual budgets or marketing plans. A server in your restaurant can not be asked to develop the menu. While expressing room for growth can serve as encouragement for an employee, you should be careful not to make promises that you can not or do not intend to keep. You should also remember that there is a significant portion of the work force who are not looking for a “career” with your company; they want a job. They may never want more responsibility. They might not want to climb any ladder. Make sure your job description is clearly defined, and address career development during performance reviews.

Hire well.

No matter how desperate the situation or how urgently you need help, take your time choosing between potential candidates. Don’t be afraid to ask the candidate to come back for a second interview. Introduce them to the other employees and show them the workspace. You can often weed out future problem employees by giving them enough time to get the lay of the land. Give the candidate the opportunity to ask you questions about the position, the company, and the work environment. Answer them honestly.

Check the candidate’s references.

I can’t stress this point enough. Jobseekers often “embellish” or outright LIE on their resumes and applications. They will most likely not tell you that they were terminated from their last position for drug use or theft. Call their past employers and verify job title and duties. You must be careful to not violate any laws when speaking to past supervisors; some states restrict the questions you are allowed to ask. However, there is little that can stop an employer from truthfully answering the question, “Is there any information about the candidate that you would like to volunteer?”

Following these simple guidelines can help reduce your risk of personnel-related confrontations or lawsuits.

Stay tuned for the next article, Avoiding Personnel Issues After the Hire.