Hire new staff
Use this guide to help you hire the right staff for your business.
Before you hire
Hiring new staff and attracting the right people is important to the success and growth of your business. However, for many businesses, workforce attraction can be a challenge.
Before hiring staff, consider creating a workforce attraction plan to help you clarify:
- current staffing levels
- who you’re looking for
- what kind of skills you need
- why your business needs talent
- when you want to hire
- how you want to hire
- where you want to hire talent from
- retention plans
- costs and employment conditions
- business continuity
- succession planning.
You can look at your plan at different stages of your business. It can help you meet your broader business goals, and you can update it as your business changes or expands.
Who to hire
Learn about the range of employee options to consider before you start the hiring process.
When hiring staff, it’s important to understand the different types of employees you can choose from. Each type of employee has different rules around pay, hours and entitlements. Choosing the right type depends on your business needs and how often you need someone to work.
Full-time employees
Full-time employees usually work around 38 hours a week. They get full benefits like paid leave (annual, sick and carer’s leave), public holidays and notice if their job ends.
Part-time employees
Part-time employees work fewer hours than full-time staff, but still have regular hours each week. They get the same benefits as full-time employees, but on a pro-rata basis (based on how many hours they work).
Casual employees
Casual employees don’t have guaranteed hours and usually work when needed. They don’t get paid leave, but they get a higher hourly rate to make up for it. Casuals can say no to shifts and may not get notice if their job ends.
Fixed-term employees
These employees are hired for a set period of time, like for a project or to cover someone on leave. They can be full-time or part-time and usually get the same entitlements as permanent staff during their contract.
Apprentices and trainees
Apprentices and trainees combine work with study to gain a qualification. Apprenticeships often lead to a trade job (like a mechanic or hairdresser) and take 3–4 years. Traineeships are shorter (1–2 years) and lead to jobs in areas like admin or IT. They can be full-time or part-time and must be registered with a training authority.
Employees under a probation period
Some new employees start with a probation period. This is a short time (usually up to 6 months) where the employer checks if the person is right for the job. Probation employees still get most of the same rights as other staff.
School-based employees
High school students can sometimes work as part of a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship. This lets them study and work at the same time.
Canberra offers an outstanding quality of life. It’s welcoming, progressive, active and family-friendly, with one of the highest standards of living in Australia.
Promoting Canberra to potential employees can help you to attract and retain skilled workers.
The ACT Government's Digital Toolkit has resources to help you promote Canberra when recruiting. This includes a checklist and guides on how to describe and sell Canberra to potential employees. It also includes images you can use along with a welcome to Canberra brochure for potential employees.
You can also visit canberra.com.au and share it with potential hires as a terrific introduction to Canberra for people unfamiliar with our city.
In the ACT there are specific laws to protect children and young people in employment. Any employment of a person under 15 years old must comply with this legislation. It must be in the best interests of the child or young person.
Employment that is not in their best interest may include work that:
- exceeds the allowable working hours
- does not meet the supervision requirements
- may not meet the requirements for light work
- may be classified as high risk.
Contact Children, Youth and Families to get more information on laws and requirements in the ACT. You can email to youngworkers@act.gov.au or phone 02 6205 0480.
Apprenticeships and traineeships are formal on-the-job training. When apprenticeships and traineeships are completed, they result in a nationally recognised qualification for the apprentice or trainee, and a new employee for you.
Hiring an apprentice or trainee, including an Australian School-based Apprentice can be a great step for your business. An apprentice or trainee is employed under an employment contract like any other employee. You will also enter into a training contract with your apprentice or trainee, including a probation period.
The probation period lets you and your new apprentice or trainee get a feel for the arrangement and decide if you want to continue.
Probation periods are:
- generally 30 to 90 days
- usually built into the training contract
- separate to any other workplace trial or probationary period.
The contract is binding for both you and your apprentice or trainee when they complete the probation period.
If you’re finding it difficult to fill roles with Australian talent, you might be considering hiring skilled migrants. As a business owner, you can sponsor migrants for a number of visa subclasses.
If you find a migrant worker based in Australia, you'll need to check if you can employ them. You can use a VEVO check to confirm they are on a visa where they can work.
The ACT Nominated Migration Program helps bring skilled workers to Canberra, fill job gaps and meet local work needs.
The ACT Government also looks after: the National Innovation Visa, the Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP), and providing Regional Certifying Body support for employers sponsoring an employer under the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa.
How to hire staff
There are things you should know when you’re hiring staff, especially if you’re doing it for the first time.
Use a hiring employees checklist to make sure you get things right.
Consider whether your employee will be full-time, part-time or casual. Pay rates, leave and other entitlements will be different for each.
The hiring process can take time, and these simple steps can help you with your first hire:
- create a job description and advertise the position
- shortlist and interview candidates
- make a job offer
- set up the proper induction to make the new employee feel welcome.
Get free recruitment support from Workforce Australia
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