It's exciting. Your company has grown so much that you need to hire your first official employee. Here are five tips to make that process as seamless as possible.

1. Be clear on what you'll want the new hire to do.

Will this be a full-time employee with regular responsibilities or a part-timer who works seasonally or as needed? Will your employee stand in for you during meetings and events or serve as a telecommuting virtual assistant? Making these things clear will help you find the best candidate, and also help prevent people who aren't a good fit from applying in the first place.

2. Check out the social media profiles of all top candidates.

You can learn a lot about a person based on what they post. While you're doing your research, make sure to check multiple sites. A candidate's LinkedIn page may list them as timely with great customer service skills, while their Twitter feed may have multiple tweets of "I can't believe I was late again" and "I just had to curse another customer out. Didn't he know I was still on break?" If hired, this candidate will represent your brand. You want someone who will do that well.

3. Make sure you get along with the person.

You shouldn't hire based on personality alone, but if you've narrowed your hiring choices down to three, equally qualified candidates, go for someone you'd enjoy working with. While you don't need to befriend the new hire, being able to engage in small talk and avoid awkward silences during the workday are good things.

4. Use recruitment software to track applicants.

Once your job announcement has been drafted, the next steps include making sure it's seen by the right candidates, keeping track of all received resumes and weeding out the wrong applicants. The best way to keep track of all this is by using an applicant tracking software like Recruiterbox. Users can accomplish all the tasks of the hiring process, including:

• Post your listing to job search engines and social media for a wider reach
• Search resumes for key words or phrases so that qualified applicants rise to the top
• Schedule interviews
• Assign hiring stages and then track applicants as they progress. Know who's just filled out the application and who's ready for an in-person interview
• Take notes right on candidate profile pages to keep track of your impressions as they progress through the hiring stages

Take some of the stress out of hiring your first employee by usingRecruiterbox. The software has a 14-day trial, and the basic plan is free.

5. Follow the law.

Brush up on legal requirements for hiring and retaining employees. For example, there are certain questions you shouldn't ask during an interview as they could imply discrimination if the candidate isn't hired. Once you have an employee on board, there are also things like worker's compensation insurance and payroll tax deductions to consider. Consult a lawyer, if need be, to make sure you remain compliant. What helped when you hired your first employee, tell us in the comment section?

Original Source: www.entrepreneur-resources.net