Decide how to meet your staffing needs

You should have a clear picture of your resource needs for growth from your business plan. Perhaps you need extra staff to deal with additional workload, or to address skills gaps that can't be met by training, or more managers and directors to help run the business.
 
If you need to recruit staff, it’s important to know:

• how many people you’ll need now and in the future
• whether the need is long-term or short-term – eg to fill seasonal demand
• which skills you need new staff to bring to your business, and the roles and responsibilities they will take on
• when to use permanent, temporary or agency staff
• how to respond to changing need, such as peaks and troughs in demand.

Choose the best option for your circumstances

Consider all of the available options for bringing in new people. For example, you could:

• employ more people on a permanent full-time or part-time basis
• take on trainees, eg through an apprenticeship
• bring in temporary workers on fixed-term contracts
• use agency staff to meet a short-term increase in workload
• take on a consultant, freelancer or contractor for access to expertise on an as-needed basis – eg zero-hours contracts
• outsource to address some of your needs.

Think about which options offer the best solution to your needs. For example, you'll have fewer responsibilities to self-employed workers than those you employ, and it's usually faster to bring in temporary staff than to recruit a new employee.

Consider taking on an apprentice

Apprenticeships are work-based training programmes, designed around the need of employers. The government shares the cost of training an apprentice with you, and you can expect to recoup your investment in two to four years.

Having an apprenticeship programme makes good business sense. It helps you build a skilled and committed workforce. You get a steady stream of new talent coming into your business – people who are well motivated, and are learning skills based on a framework developed by your industry's representatives. There are more than 200 of these frameworks, covering hundreds of job roles, so there's a good chance of finding one that suits your business.

Meet your responsibilities to all workers

You will have certain responsibilities to all staff that you employ, whether they're full or part time. Check what these are and when they begin to apply, and  provide a written statement of the main terms and conditions of the employment contract.

If you're taking on your first employee, you might need to  register as an employer with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

Do you regularly employ temporary staff? Any tips on managing the process? Have you taken on apprentices? Would you recommend this route to others? Share your experience in the comments.

• Use Jobcentre Plus and other recruitment services to advertise your vacancy and reach the widest range of people.

• Consider an interim manager – they can help run the business until existing staff have the right skills.

• Think about using a headhunter to find management – they will know where to look for the best fit for your business.