Need help with hiring staff?

In the advertisement, define the job itself by setting out the tasks or duties the successful candidate will be responsible for in their day-to-day role and identify the person required in terms of essential and desirable skills, experience and personal qualities. Essential attributes could include excellent customer service skills, either previous hospitality, catering or retail experience and good standards of literacy and numeracy. Additional, desirable attributes could include, for example, the possession of a Basic Food Hygiene certificate and previous catering experience.

You can use social media, online job boards, a recruitment agency or a traditional advert in a newspaper; or a mixture of these methods to attract the right candidates for the role. The advert should make clear how the applicant should apply for the role and the deadline for submitting an application e.g. by submitting a CV and covering letter, by completing an online application form, or alternative method. Remember applicants’ personal information should be processed in accordance with data protection legislation.

Once you have drawn up a short list of potential candidates, you will need to decide on your selection process. This is usually done by interview either in person or via a video link, but could also include completion of an online assessment, for example.

Let the chosen candidates know the good news. You may choose to provide them with a job offer letter setting out the main terms and job start date, with a full employment contract to follow. Let the unsuccessful candidates know as soon as possible that they have not been selected for the role.

You must provide a written statement of employment (or employment contract) by the start date of the employee’s employment if you’re employing someone for more than a month.

Throughout the recruitment process, businesses must consider equality legislation, which requires employers not discriminate in any way based on certain protected characteristics, such as age, race and sex. This means, for example, that a business cannot advertise a vacancy as only being open to people under the age of 30, as this would amount to age discrimination.

Have you registered as an employer with HMRC? Does the pay meet at least the National Minimum Wage for their age? Do you have Employer’s Liability insurance? Have you provided an employment contract? Have you carried out a right to work check to ensure the individual has the right to work in the UK? A failure to do so could result in a penalty if it transpires that the individual does not have the legal right to work in the UK. Have you set up PAYE and checked if you need to auto enrol your employee into a workplace pension scheme?