Hiring and onboarding: define the role and choose your next step
Start with the problem you need the new role to solve. Work through the stages below, or choose the step you are dealing with today.
If this is your first hire, keep the employment setup and terms checks alongside the selection work.
Define the role
Check which work needs an owner, then describe the duties, evidence and reporting relationships.
Check whether a new hire will solve your workload problem
Use a two-week workload log to decide what a new employee would actually own. Compare recurring work, seasonal pressure and avoidable admin before defining a role.
3 min readHow to write a job description around work that needs doing
Write a small business job description from real tasks. Use an annotated admin role, separate essential skills and check the requirements before advertising.
4 min readHire a friend or family member with clear expectations
Discuss duties, reporting, feedback and confidentiality before hiring a friend or family member. Use a practical agenda to separate the job from the relationship.
3 min read
Find candidates
Use the approved role to explain the vacancy and make the application steps clear.
Write a job advertisement that gives applicants the information they need
Write a clear job ad with useful duties, location, hours, pay information and application steps. Compare vague phrases with a practical small business example.
4 min readHiring Your First Employee in Australia: The Complete Checklist
Hiring your first employee in Australia? Step-by-step checklist: true cost and on-costs, award pay rates, PAYG, STP, super, workers comp and day-one paperwork
9 min read
Assess fairly
Compare evidence against the job, plan the interview and agree any reference enquiries with the applicant.
Shortlist job applications with a simple evidence scorecard
Shortlist job applicants using a clear evidence scorecard. See a fictional four-person comparison, handle missing information and record reasons for decisions.
3 min readRun a structured job interview in a small business
Plan a structured interview for a small business role. Use a forty-minute agenda, practical questions and a scoring rubric that keeps the focus on evidence.
3 min readCheck job references with consent and useful questions
Check a job applicant's references with permission and role-specific questions. Use a call worksheet, separate facts from opinions and resolve conflicting accounts.
3 min read
Confirm the hire
Check the proposed employment arrangement and written terms, then prepare for the agreed first day.
Casual vs Part-Time vs Full-Time: What Each Means for Employers
Casual vs part-time vs full-time in Australia: the current casual definition, 25% loading, leave, notice, minimum shifts and how casual conversion works.
10 min readEmployment Contracts: What to Include (and What's Illegal)
What to include in an Australian employment contract: pay and award, hours, probation, notice, IP, plus clauses that are void or illegal and free templates.
9 min readNew Employee Onboarding: The Compliance Checklist
New employee starting? The day-one onboarding checklist for Australian employers: Fair Work statement, TFN, super choice, VEVO, WHS induction and first pay.
9 min read