How to Hire Employees: The Essential List of Resources for Agency Owners

How to hire employees

Making the decision to add new staff to your company is easy in theory, but the act of hiring takes diligence, purpose, and above all, patience. During the hiring process you’ll face hard decisions, since the person you hire will have a huge impact on the work you create, and a stake in the success and growth of your business.

To help you get started, we’ve compiled our most popular articles and guides into a comprehensive collection on how to hire employees. These articles cover every stage of the hiring journey, from building a leader’s mindset so you’re ready to lead a team, to deciding whether you need a temporary or full-time employee. This collection of resources will take your hiring skills to the next level.

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How to start your hiring journey

Before you find yourself managing a team within your agency, you’ll need to first learn how the hiring process works and what it takes to lead a team. If you’ve never hired someone or lead a team before, it can be tough. You’re now the boss and you’re responsible for everyone’s success—it’s a lot of pressure!

In this section we’ll share advice on how to find employees to hire, and how you can improve your leadership skills. In the video below, find advice from some of our top Shopify Partners, who share everything you need to know before starting the hiring process, and some tips for continuing the recruitment journey.

How to find employees to hire

Finding great candidates is always tough for hiring managers. Studies show that almost three quarters of employers have trouble finding talent with the right skills. The hiring process is also lengthy, taking an average of 42 days to fill an open position. Most companies can’t afford to lose that time, and need to hire with more urgency.

To help ease the difficulty in the hiring process for you, we’ve rounded up some useful articles to help you identify candidates, create interview questions, and fill open positions in your agency.

Developing team management and leadership skills

Perhaps you got into your role to be more focused on the creative, strategic, or technical aspects of an industry you love. But when you start hiring, you’ll also need to become a great leader. The way to take your agency far is to master leadership skills.

There are many ways you can level up your skillset and become a fantastic leader, from leaning on peer groups, to mastering project management and communication skills. Use these resources to help increase your ability to lead teams to success.

How to hire employees for a small business

When you’re hiring for a small business, your hiring plan needs to align with your company’s growth goals. That could mean searching for a junior over hiring for a senior position, or looking for a generalist to perform multiple roles rather than a specialist who does one thing extremely well.

To help you identify your growth goals and the kind of hire your small business can make, check out these articles.

How to hire employees on a tight budget

Hiring someone for your agency isn’t cheap. Research from Bersin by Deloitte found that companies spend close to $4,000 per hire to ensure they found the right talent. If that’s not a cost you’re prepared to stomach right now, an alternative is to make hiring part of your business’s goals and generate revenue to fund future recruitment. But if you're dead set on hiring now, there are two ways you can recruit help at a low cost.

If cash flow is a major issue in your business, try recruiting an intern from a local university or college. While interns can be an affordable way to get help, it’s essential that you also invest in them by helping them learn and develop their skills.

Another low cost alternative is to build a partnership with another agency. Partnering allows you to take on bigger, higher-paying projects, and keep costs low within your business. Below are some articles that will help you identify whether a junior hire or a partnership is right for you.

How to hire part-time or temporary employees

With hiring, people assume that everyone wants a full-time position, but that’s not always true. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 55 million people, more than 35 percent of the U.S. workforce, are “gig workers,” and that number is projected to rise to 43 percent by 2020. With this data in mind, it’s completely reasonable to hire a copywriter, designer, or developer to fill a one-off temporary position for a client project. And if you like working with them, you can always recruit them for a series of ongoing projects in a part-time position.

Below, find resources to help you subcontract work, create contracts, and track subcontractors’ work.

Adding staff to your business is a major undertaking

Whether it’s learning how to hire employees, searching for candidates, or subcontracting to ease the amount of work on your plate, this resource roundup is a great starting point. We hope it will help you recruit the right person to take your business forward.

Grow your business with the Shopify Partner Program

Whether you offer marketing, customization, or web design and development services, the Shopify Partner Program will set you up for success. Join for free and access revenue share opportunities, tools to grow your business, and a passionate commerce community.

Sign up
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