Business discussion: The significance of hiring that first employee

How important is the first hire for startup owners? Tyler Tysdal explores one of the most significant steps when setting up a business.

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Hiring the first employee is by intents and purposes, a milestone for the business. As such, it has to be done right, since it will set the tone for future hires. For that first worker, owners should consider a number of things.

First off, what will the employee be doing? It should be clear from the onset if the first hire will be there for support or if they’ll be paid to do independent work. Another important question that business owners have to answer is the nature of the tasks that need completing. Will the employee be doing manual labor (i.e., fix up the office, run errands) or will they be required to meet up with potential clients to increase sales and further market the company. Being clear on these details makes the hiring process go smoother.

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Now, when business owners finally have a clear picture of their ideal first employee, Tyler Tysdal advises that the next step would be to be patient. There’s a chance that applications will come piling in. If that’s the case, owners shouldn’t immediately accept the first person to go through the door, no matter how attractive the resume of the applicant may be. Owners should remember that this is someone they’ll probably work closely with every day until the company expands.

Finally, background checks are also critical, and should never be skipped, Tyler Tysdal adds.
Real estate investor Tyler Tysdal is the Managing Partner of Platte Management, a single-family office with active investment strategies. He graduated from Georgetown University with a BSBA in Finance and received his MBA from Harvard Business School. For more business-related reads, go to this site.