Who Should you Employ?

It is a big decision, so take your time.  Think about:

Ø How the applicant replied to your questions

Ø Did you feel comfortable with them

Ø Were they punctual

Ø Were they smartly dressed

Ø Can they meet what you have asked for in the Job Description

If you are not sure, you can always ask the applicants you might employ to do a practical interview.  A practical interview is where they could work as a P.A. for a couple of hours for you. It is also an opportunity for them to be sure they understand what the job will involve. It is a good idea to mention this to candidates at the initial interview.  Applicants themselves have found this a useful experience. You should explain they would not be paid for this time.   This would enable you to feel sure about the person before recruiting them. 

If you are not happy with the applicants, you can always recruit again. Be careful not to discriminate on:

Ø  age

Ø  race

Ø  religion

Ø  disability

Ø  sex or gender

Example- an applicant may have had time off work because of a pregnancy related illness. You could not make a decision not to employ the applicant because she had had time off because of the illness.

If you are happy and make a decision, you can then offer the successful applicant a job. , if you wish to have one done. You may choose to call them or write to them. It is usually good to write to state any requirements you have , you may wish to ensure they have god references and a clear Criminal record Check before they start. This is your choice as the employer.

References

You may want to obtain references.  They can help you to be sure the person is who they say they are and prove they have the skills and abilities they say they have, but of course this is only one person’s point of view. 

You are not legally obliged to obtain references, nor are previous employers legally obliged to give a reference, even if the employee has an excellent work history.  If you do obtain references, you need to make very clear that employment will only be offered subject to satisfactory references.

You may use a recruitment service to help request these they may also be able to help you get a Criminal Record Check, if you wish to have one done.