Prior to hiring anyone, you need to prepare, and preparation means focusing on a number of details. If you're going to hire someone, you'll need to be ready to do the following:

• Get a federal ID number as an employer

• Recruit qualified individuals, review their skills, and contact their references

• Train and supervise others

• Adjust to various personalities

• Delegate responsibilities

• Recognize that some things may be done successfully in a manner different from yours

• Make sure you're a good communicator and listener

• Know the going rate for wages and how much you can afford to pay

• Pay employees on a regular basis no matter how business is going

• Establish rules and guidelines so that your employees know your expectations and don't take advantage of you

• Pay unemployment taxes, Social Security, and Medicare when due

• Have desks, phones, computer terminals, and other supplies ready

• Know how to lay people off or fire them

Are you prepared to do all of this? Can you handle conflict between employees? Can you motivate employees to work at peak levels? As an employer, you'll have to set the tone and lead by example. You'll need to determine your own style and be consistent and fair to all employees. Hone your leadership skills in advance. Learning as you go can result in poor business practices and even lawsuits. You want to project an image of professionalism.

Crafting a Job Posting

A job posting will help you hire a person for a specific job. It also serves as a blueprint for the tasks associated with that job. You should include accurate, thorough information in a posting, without overwhelming potential applicants with too many details. Here are the key elements of a job posting:

• Date of posting

• Name of company

• Brief description of company

• Job summary, with the primary functions described

• Compensation

• Necessary background and skills for doing the job

• Benefits

• Contact information

In order to get applicants who closely resemble your ideal candidate, you must offer specific, clear information about the job. If your posting is vague or misleading, you may end up with a bunch of applicants who are completely unqualified for the job. If this happens, it will be your fault—not theirs.