Hiring employees

Before advertising a role, you should check that the information and job description are free of discriminatory language.
 
You can then advertise the role by placing an ad:
 

• on your website or in social media
• in the local paper
• on an online recruitment site
• in a trade, industry or business site.

Word of mouth is still a valuable way to promote any vacancies in your business.

You could also use a recruitment agency to help you manage the all or part of the process. You’ll have to balance the time savings and expertise on offer with the cost of using a recruitment service.

Before conducting an interview, you'll need to shortlist applicants based on their application.

Shortlisting requires you to examine the applications and decide which ones meet enough of your criteria so that the applicants are suitable for interviews.
 
This usually means considering the information in a cover letter (if you asked for one) and the CV or resume, and how it meets your job description. You may also have standards in terms of how the letter was written, spelling and other content.
 
You may find shortlisting takes one, two or three stages until you reduce the number of applications to a manageable quantity for interview – usually between two and five for a single position, but sometimes more. During these stages, when you are comparing candidates, you may wish to list the job description criteria and other important factors in a checklist and compare each applicant against the checklist.
 
You will also need to decide if you will have anyone helping you in the interview process, both in reviewing applications and in interviewing, particularly if you want to employ a lot of people quickly.

When interviewing for the position, ensure that the questions you ask are related to the position advertised. You will want to ask questions that help you understand the skills, qualifications and experience of potential applicants as well as their fit within the team. Just as when you advertised the job, you must not use discriminatory language or questions within the interview. 

When conducting the interview, use a standard set of questions for each applicant. This will help you and your interview panel members compare and select the right applicant for your business.
 
Having someone record the responses during this interview may help you when reviewing later.
 
As well as asking interview questions about applicants’ relevant skills and experience, consider including questions that ask applicants to tell you about themselves, which may help you decide whether the person is a ‘cultural fit’ for your organisation. Remember, you cannot ask questions that are discriminatory or contravene equal opportunity legislation.
 
Following the interview, you may wish to contact the referees for one or more applicants to check the accuracy of what’s been said and gain information that may not have emerged ‘on paper’ or during the interview.

When you’ve selected an applicant, you should contact that person directly to offer the position. If not previously discussed, you must talk about the salary, conditions and workplace benefits and entitlements as part of their employment.
 
If your business is in an industry with a workplace agreement relating to the position, you’ll need to align the pay and conditions with that agreement. You also need to meet your obligations according to the Fair Work Act 2009 and other legislation and guidelines.
 
If the employee accepts your offer for the position, you can proceed with preparing the formal documentation and offer of employment.
 
The Fair Work Ombudsman has information about selecting and hiring employees.

As an employer, you want to both attract and keep good staff. First impressions count, so it’s important to have your employee feel they’ve made the right choice from day one.
 
Welcome your employee, introduce them to at least one or two key people, including their direct manager. You or a suitable, friendly person should show them what they’ll need to settle in and feel included, and who they should go to for help.
 
You should also have processes in place to ensure that the workplace is ready for your recruit. Have necessary keys, equipment, computer access and paperwork ready.
 
Together, these processes will help make your employee feel valued, informed, welcome and ready to do their job.
 
If your business has an induction process, make sure your new employee is taken through it as soon as possible.