ISSUE 57 — MAY 2021
Get It Right From the Start BY CORINA VUCIC, DIRECTOR OF FC BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
One of the most challenging aspects of being a business owner is being an employer. There’s recruiting the right people, and then there’s leading your team so that each member develops into a loyal, valuable cog in your business. The legalese around employment is daunting, but getting it right not only saves you from stress and a possible financial penalty but can reward you with employees who are confident in what you expect of them, are more productive, and contribute their ideas to improve your business. Once you have a successful candidate who has agreed to join you, you need to email them a Letter of Offer (or Engagement). This letter should outline: ¡ the job role ¡ who do they report to? ¡ what hours they work and where ¡ what they will be paid (do not forget to be clear as
to whether the pay is inclusive of superannuation or if that is paid on top).
In a nutshell, all their entitlements. There will be a lot of information in this document that covers you legally — so make sure that you have a good template. This is your contract of employment so ensure that both parties sign and retain a copy of the signed document. A position (or job) description should be included with the letter. This document is one of the most valuable you will produce. It should detail exactly what you require of your new employee, what
their role entails in good detail. This document will guide your new team member and give you a document to measure them against during their probation. And do not forget, probation is not a time to stand back and judge someone, but a time to help, assess and train if necessary, to give them the best chance of success in the role. Before a new employee starts, it is a good idea to email them all your manuals to read — employee Handbook, procedures, workplace safety, etc. Get them to sign off that they have read and understood the contents. When they arrive at your workplace, have a thorough induction process planned — this can be online or a combination of hands-on and virtual. Make sure they can hit the ground running and that they are not waiting for the basic tools they need to start being productive. Have a policy of respect throughout your business, have a robust complaints process, ensure that your documentation such as payslips, etc. are available on time — ideally through an online log-in portal, and you are a long way to ensuring that your new team member will be an asset, not a problem.
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