I need HELP!!!
Hiring help (intern, seasonal, part-time or even full-time employee) is a huge step in any business. It comes in all shapes and sizes and when you’re looking for assistance to make your small business happen, there are many routes you can take.
If you own your own shop and find that you simply don’t have enough time on your hands to do all the things you need to do, you may be asking yourself should you hire an employee? If you're concerned about the expense and responsibility of expanding your staff, you're not alone. Is an intern or practicum the answer?
In the November Maker Meet-in, Sarah Alexander, owner of Results HR, and Mary Beth Woodward, Assistant Director of Internship Development at the University of Tennessee Center for Career Development, discussed all the options.
TOP REASONS TO HIRE:
You are turning down work
You have identified new sources of potential revenue streams
Your customers are complaining or the quality of your products/services are suffering
You don’t have time to regular financials/bookkeeping and paperwork/admin
You need a specific skill set
You can’t find time for a break or vacation
Your company isn’t growing
You can finally afford it & there is enough work to keep someone busy – PT or FT
HIRING AN EMPLOYEE:
Obtain an Employer Identification Number
Determine whether you need State or Local Tax ID’s
Register with State Labor Department
Obtain Worker’s Compensation Insurance
Set up payroll system to withhold taxes
Have each employee complete forms W4 & I- 9
Report each new employee to your state’s new hire reporting agency
Post required notices – Federal & State
Develop standard policies, procedure, and forms
Set up personnel files - paper or electronic
Define roles & responsibilities
INTERN OPTIONS:
Volunteering
Jones Center for Leadership and Service
Micro-Internships/Short Term Projects
Post on Parker Dewey via CCDAE
Part Time Jobs
Internships/Co-ops/Practicum
INTERNSHIP DEFINED:
To provide opportunity for students to learn and develop their skill set
To have input from someone who is learning the newest skills in their field of study
To have extra hands to assist in projects
To breed goodwill within the community and grow relationships with local colleges and universities.
To give interns a test-run to determine if they would be a good fit long term
Making the call to hire or create an internship is a hard choice to make. You can check out these presentations for more invaluable information on the differences and expert recommendations. Feel free to reach out to Sarah Alexander or Beth Woodward to have any additional questions answered! Their contact information is in their presentations. Be sure to tune in every month for a virtual Maker Meet-in to get your maker biz questions answered by the pros!
OTHER IMPORTANT HIRING LINKS:
ABOUT THE EXPERTS
Sarah Alexander is the Owner of Results HR, a Knoxville-based human resources consulting firm specializing in small, family-owned, and startup businesses. Sarah is passionate about the people-side of business and is driven to help business owners turn their human resources challenges into opportunities. She is a strategic business partner that prides herself on providing a customer centric experience with solutions that target key HR challenges, such as: attraction and selection of qualified candidates, retention and engagement of employees, employee productivity and accountability, compliance and risk management, communication and conflict resolution, and operational effectiveness and alignment.
Mary Beth Woodward serves as the Assistant Director of Internship Development at the University of Tennessee Center for Career Development and has over 8 years of experience working in career coaching, employer development, and experiential learning. As a graduate of UT's Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Education, she specializes in working with employers that align with the interests of these student populations, namely non-profits, start-ups, the arts, education, and government.