F A S T F A C T S 1 9
E M P L O Y I N G S T A F F
Good employees can be a business’ greatest asset. As an employer you have certain
obligations to your staff, and different categories of employment involve various rights and
duties.
When an employee accepts a specific offer of employment either in writing or verbally, a
contract of employment is established. Under this contract, both the employer and
employee have certain rights and obligations. Whilst these may be specified in a written
agreement (express terms), many basic duties are self-evident (implied).
The Employment Decision
When making the employment decision, you should ask yourself these questions:
• What type of help do you need?
• How many hours per week?
•
Is the work short-term or ongoing?
• Will the person be employed full-time, part-time or on a casual basis?
• Could you use the services of a professional employment agency or contract out the
work?
• What will it cost to employ and can you afford to employ? (Don’t forget the
additional costs like training, workers’ compensation, superannuation, etc)
• How will you go about the recruitment process (advertising, interviewing and
selecting the right applicant)?
Recruitment
Once you have decided to employ, you should prepare a
Job Description (outlining the title of the job and the main duties) and Selection Criteria
(listing the qualifications, skills and experience required).
You can advertise your job vacancy in the newspaper, informally through word-of-mouth,
by posting a notice on a public notice board, by registering with the Job Network or a
specialist employment agency, or even listing your vacancy on the internet.
Once applications have been received, select those candidates who you think are likely to
meet your requirements and arrange an interview. Plan your questions in advance, and
ensure they relate to the job description and selection criteria, and are not discriminatory.
It is often helpful to invite another person to sit in at