Employing Staff

Start by describing the job. This will include the offered salary, the tasks, required experience and qualifications, and working hours. Including the hours in the job advertisement means you’ll need to draw up a contract, outlining whether the role is temporary, permanent, or part-time.

There are a number of other ways you can find the right person to join your company:

  • Headhunt someone you’ve made a connection with already
  • Use LinkedIn to find and connect with suitable candidates
  • Ask peers and relevant contacts for personal recommendations
  • Attend local networking events and ask around
  • Hire a recruitment consultant; an expensive option but it could save you a lot of time

And once your search is over, you’ll need to consider the following:

  1. Work out a salary you’re comfortable paying, which must be at least the National Minimum Wage.
  2. Carry out employment checks, including if the candidate has the legal right to work in the UK.
  3. Depending on your line of work, you may need to apply for a DBS check (formerly a CRB check).
  4. As soon as you start taking on staff, you’ll need employers’ liability insurance.
  5. The employee will need to be sent a contract to include job description and terms and conditions. A written statement of employment will be needed if you’re employing someone for over a month.
  6. You’ll need registering as an employer with HMRC up to four weeks before you pay your new staff.

This may seem like a long list, but each step is surprisingly straightforward. Every organisation has helplines and online support to guide you through each process, which won’t seem as daunting once you get down to it.

Once all the paperwork is complete, it’s worth considering your workplace culture as this can play an important part in attracting, motivating and retaining the best staff. For example, this could be through:

  • rewarding exceptional work in an employee of the month scheme
  • socials and team buildings days
  • providing training opportunities
  • giving an extra day’s leave on the staff member’s birthday

Get help:

www.gov.uk/employing-staff

Meet the team

Chris George<br />
Growth Hub Manager

Chris George

Growth Hub Manager

Chris is an experienced professional with over 30 years knowledge and experience in sales and marketing in the public sector along with 15 years working for two mainstream automotive manufacturers in the sub 10,000 fleet. Delivered sustainable change in a vast range of industries, whilst constantly updating and developing core competencies and knowledge.

Working in the Local Authority sector for the last 15 years has resulted in Chris turning around failing territories to becoming some of the best performing areas in the country, with excellent stakeholder engagement and a passion for premium delivery. Outside of work, Chris is a keen gardener, and also likes property restoration and reading.

Ashleigh Jackson<br />
Growth Hub Business Advisor

Ashleigh Jackson

Growth Hub Business Advisor

A proven senior influencer and sales professional with more than 25 years’ experience in brand building and driving category growth within the private sector.

“I have a strong research background, alongside vast experience in sponsorship and corporate events management.

My work has initiated good working partnerships with many Local Authorities across Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire and London. I have also worked with many multi-national brands including KPMG, Barclays, EasyJet, Kingston Smith LLP, London Stansted Airport, Morgan Sindall and Heineken. I’m proud to be able to enhance on the work we do here at the CPCA Growth Hub and build on many success stories.

Away from the business, health and fitness is important to me, being in the great outdoors, and enjoying fun times and relaxation with family and friends”.

Stuart Thomas<br />
Growth Hub Business Advisor

Stuart Thomas

Growth Hub Business Advisor

Stuart is a former small business owner and former Business Link Advisor and has also worked as a project manager for an international IT company, overseeing a large number of IT projects for large corporate enterprises, as well as large public sector organisations.

Stuart has served as a director for an international timber trading company and has also been a director of a local independent radio station, where he mentored a number of new staff. Prior to this he spent time as a secondary school teacher, teaching IT and business studies at both GCSE and A level.

Liana Sannah Growth Hub Business Analyst

Liana Sannah

Growth Hub Business Analyst

Liana is an experienced professional with over 15 years’ experience as an Executive Assistant. Liana has previously been employed by Warner bros, Daily Mirror, Aviva and AXA. These roles have given her a wide range of skills and in a vast range of industries.

Liana has been working in the Local Authority sector for almost three years, as a Growth hub advisor and producing the Monthly BEIS report. In her leisure time, Liana enjoys cooking, interior design and watching movies.