Hiring your first employee: what to look at beyond the résumé

Your first employee isn't just extra hands. They work closer to you than anyone, and they become the model for everyone who follows. A résumé shows what someone has done; it can't show what working with you will be like.

Before you post the job: know what you need

1. List the tasks you do yourself every week, then circle the ones you want to hand off. That group is the role.
2. Separate what they must be good at from day one from what you can teach. Your first hire doesn't need to be good at everything, only at what you have no time to teach.
3. Notice which style you lack. If you think fast and keep starting new things, someone who finishes work may be worth more than someone who thinks like you.

What to look at beyond the résumé

• Can they work without a system? A small company has no handbook yet, and some people from large organisations find that uncomfortable. Ask: "Have you had to design the process yourself? Tell me about it."
• How do they handle shifting work? Bookkeeping today, customer replies tomorrow. Ask about a time the work changed halfway through.
• Do they raise problems early? In a team of two, a hidden problem surfaces when it's too late. Ask: "The last time you made a mistake, when did you tell your manager?"
• Do your working rhythms fit? Early or late, frequent calls or messages, fast decisions or long thinking. You don't have to match, but you should know where you differ.

Try real work before deciding

Give a small task that looks like the real job, a couple of hours at most, and pay for it if it takes real time. Look at the result and at what they asked along the way. Questions reveal how someone thinks more than answers do.

The first 90 days

• Week one: work side by side as much as possible so they see how you decide.
• Month one: agree on which decisions they can make alone and which need a check first.
• Month three: review honestly what is working and what needs to change, on both sides.

When the team reaches three

Once the second and third people join, the question shifts from "can they work with me?" to "can the whole team work together?" The team overview shows who suits which seat, which pairs lift each other, and which seats the team is still missing. See a sample team report. Use it as input to hiring decisions, not as a filter for turning people away.

Try it free with a team of three at Team fit.