Finding Top Employees for Your Home-Based Business
Finding success at your own home-based business is both exciting and liberating. However, it can quickly turn into greater challenges.
For example, you may find that you don’t have the time and resources to do everything you need to get done. Rather than let a golden opportunity become a major cause of stress in your life, there will come a point when you should consider hiring some help.
It may not seem like a safe or simple choice to bring in outsiders if your office is at your home. This is why it’s crucial that you hire someone you trust and feel comfortable with.
Below, you’ll find five tips to ensure you’re bringing the right person to your home-based business.
Provide Full Disclosure
You’re more likely to find suitable candidates if you’re clear about the conditions they’ll be working under. When recruiting help, it’s best to state up front that the job is in a home-based company.
Let your applicants know about the environment you provide, the amount of workspace there is, and what kind of hours you expect them to keep.
Screen Your Candidates
Don’t overlook the fact that hiring a new employee means opening your home, and exposing your family to a stranger. You’ll want to thoroughly check the background of anyone who’ll be entering your home each day.
You should do a criminal background check and ensure the candidate is legally entitled to work. Be sure to ask for and check references. You can also ask friends, family, and business associates whether they know of anyone trustworthy with the skills you’re looking for.
Conduct the Interview
You’ll need to gain as much information as possible, so plan the questions you should ask in advance. For legal reasons, be sure to focus on job-specific questions rather than personal info. It’s also a good idea to pose job-specific challenges and weigh the responses carefully to get a better idea of the candidate’s character and judgment.
One of your first questions should be how the applicant will feel about working in a private home, and possibly around family members and pets. Be certain the potential employee understands your guidelines for conduct and responsibilities in your home.
Set Up an Appropriate Workspace
Since you’ll be working side-by-side with your new employee, you need to make sure you have the space and the equipment to accommodate both of you comfortably. Consider efficiency of operations as well as ways to maximize your office space.
At the same time, respect your employee’s sense of privacy. Give them as much personal space as possible. Establish a separate area and table for meetings.
Keep family members and pets out of the office, and particularly establish that your employee’s desk and computer are off-limits. Although it may be your home, it’s important that the employee feels respected and comfortable in the home environment. If you can, allow them to use a separate entrance to the office so they aren’t obligated to interact with the rest of the household.
Set Boundaries
Explain your rules during the interview. Let the candidate know which rooms they’ll have access to and the work schedule they should observe. Make sure they understand that they are an employee, not a guest.
Your family members may resent or be uneasy at having a stranger around, so be sure to explain to them that this is an entirely different arrangement that they should not be a part of. Introduce or at least familiarize other members of your household with the new employee, but discourage fraternizing. It’s important that your employee-employer relationship is professional and productive, family included.
Before the employee starts work, take the trouble to type up an employee handbook that spells out all of their obligations and duties, as well as your own expectations. Clearly specify the rules regarding sock days, vacations, and other time off, as well as performance reviews and compensation.
Final Thoughts
Successfully hiring help for your home-based business requires finding someone who’s not only qualified, but comfortable working within the space and conditions you provide. Just be sure to make your expectations clear to both the new hire and your family. By selecting the right person for your circumstances, your output and your growth potential will be improved.