Hiring Employees: A Step-by-Step Guide

Employees | Hiring Employees

Hiring Employees: A Step-by-Step Guide

It is time to expand your business and hire your first employee. There is a lot of legwork that must go into the hiring process, and a few questions may come to mind. Like, what laws do you need to take into consideration? How do you recruit the right person? What avenues can you use to attract potential employees?

With all these questions, where do you begin? Let us help you on your road to hiring your first employee.

What are your goals?

Firstly, you will need to evaluate the goals and priorities of your company. Outlining your goals will help you determine the tasks you will need to delegate and the positions you need filled.

With your goals and tasks clear, you can get to work creating job descriptions. This provides your prospects with a guideline for what is expected and gives you a tool for evaluating potential candidates.

Get into gear

Before you start your recruitment process, you want to make sure that your business is in gear to hire. This means ensuring that you are in adherence to the federal and provincial laws.

Your business number

You will be required to obtain a business number with a payroll deduction account from the Canada Revenue Agency. Your business number is a 9-digit number unique to your business, used when dealing with government agencies. It will enable you to report deductions from your employees’ salaries and file income taxes.

Employment standards legislation

Be sure to research the Employment Standards Legislation for your province. This is to ensure you conform to guidelines related to:

  • Payment of wages
  • Minimum wage thresholds
  • Vacation rules
  • Hours of work, breaks, and overtime pay
  • Termination

As an employer, you are responsible for withholding source deductions, which you will then remit to the federal government. These include federal tax, Canada pension plan contributions, and employment insurance premiums.

Depending on your provincial government, additional deductions such as health premiums and workers’ compensation may be required.

Employee policies

Canadian law dictates that employers must have policies in place relating to employee-related issues, such as occupational health and safety, human rights, harassment, bullying, and anti-discrimination.

If you are in British Columbia, you will need to visit the BC Ministry of Labour, Employment Standards Branch, to ensure your company meets the minimum requirements under the Employment Standards Act. You will also need to register for workers’ compensation coverage at WorkSafeBC. It is highly recommended that these policies be in place before your first hire.

Recruitment

Now that your business is abiding by provincial laws, and job descriptions are clearly outlined. It is time to begin the recruitment process. Candidate selection is important, as you want to attract candidates that are qualified, share a similar vision, and have the right personality for your business.

Advertising

There are various mediums you can utilize to attract potential employees. Advertising on LinkedIn is a key option to consider as it typically yields high quality applicants.  Another main recruitment source is Indeed.  However, a note of caution that this may result in a large influx of applications to review, which may prove time-consuming and may not yield suitable candidates.

HR recruitment services

The thought of using an agency to help with hiring employees may trigger thoughts of exorbitant fees, but it can actually save time and money. Recruitment agencies will screen applicants to shortlist potential hires. Additionally, many recruitment agencies already have a database of qualified candidates to help ensure you find the right employees. They can also handle the administrative functions whilst ensuring that your business is operating in keeping with all the necessary regulations, thus avoiding any penalties in the future.

Talent sourcing, hiring, and retention

Do you need help hiring employees in Vancouver? Contact us today at Pivot HR Services.

At Pivot HR Services, we have experienced consultants who are knowledgeable about the hiring process. We will be your guide in successfully navigating the needs of your company. We can create an effective recruitment campaign, and we will ensure you adhere to government regulations. And finally, we will not only help you select the most suitable talent to grow your business, but we will help with employee retention as well.

Visit our website or call us to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced HR consultants.

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