Great points shared by Jeff and Arjun! I would also like to add the following:

Assuming you are in the United States and depending on your state, there will be specific requirements that you need to comply with before you hire your first employee. If you will offer a remote or hybrid work arrangement (which may be ideal depending on your business), sufficient technology tools and great communication skills will be key to ensuring the success of your new employee. In my experience, a lack of trust and clear expectations can lead to frustration on both sides of the table. It will be critical for you to build relationship with your new employee and take the time to understand each other’s work style and communication preferences.

Once you have your basic HR infrastructure in place, create a clear job description that outlines the essential duties and qualifications (including education, experience, skills, etc.). I recommend that you use inclusive language, highlight transferable skills, and consider making a degree optional instead of required to allow for a more diverse candidate pool. As a best practice, be transparent about the salary range for your position. Using the job description as a guide, identify job-related interview questions that will help you evaluate the candidate’s qualifications. Skip the trendy “what animal are you” questions as they aren’t job-related and may frustrate/annoy your candidates. Use open-ended questions that require the candidate to explain their past experience and avoid questions that allow for a yes/no response (especially in regards to technical skills). Ask the candidate about their preferred work styles and which communication methods have been most successful for them in the past to help you assess if they will align with your own. As a best practice, try to include two or more individuals in your interview process to allow for different perspectives on candidate responses. To ensure consistency and fairness, present the same interview questions and use a rating system to evaluate candidate responses. Finally, be flexible and transparent about the realities of the job and your culture to reduce potential turnover from candidates who see a disconnect between your projected image and reality.

Let me know if you would like to chat more about your specific needs.

Great question! First, I recommend that you determine your specific needs and expectations, including the decision to hire someone on a temporary/contract basis or ongoing as a regular team member. As a next step, I recommend that you create a job description outlining the job duties and qualifications for the position. There are several samples available online that you can customize based on your needs. Finally, you can post the job online based on your targeted audience (ex: Indeed, LinkedIn, Upwork, etc.) and start reviewing applications. I recommend that you share the opportunity with your personal and professional networks. Seeking referrals from trusted connections can reduce your search time for the right candidate. You will also want to prepare specific interview questions to help you assess and identify the right fit for your business. If you would like to discuss these recommendations in more detail, please contact me to schedule a call. Kind Regards, Aundraya

Hello. If you are referring to virtual “lunch and learn” educational sessions for your own employees, they can be a great way to offer professional development opportunities for up-skilling while fostering engagement (especially with remote teams). In my experience, these sessions are most successful when the attendees feel engaged through activities and the ability to share their own experiences. Take some time to select your topic, speaker, and learning objectives, then market the event as an educational experience highlighting the benefits.

If you are a California employer, please keep in mind that there are very strict wage & hour guidelines regarding meal & rest breaks. You should be very clear that participation is voluntary and unpaid since it takes place during the employee’s meal break. If attendance will be mandatory, the employees should be paid for their time.

If you would like to discuss further, please feel free to contact me!