How do I hire a new employee?

By Chris Andreou
|
Last updated
September 15, 2023

Contents

How do I hire a new employee? guide

To hire a new employee, you need to:

If you're hiring staff for the first time, refer to HMRC's guide on the steps you need to take.

<p>To hire a new employee, you need to:<br></p><ul><li>Check if your business is <a href="https://www.gov.uk/get-ready-to-employ-someone?step-by-step-nav=47bcdf4c-9df9-48ff-b1ad-2381ca819464" target="_blank">ready to hire a new staff</a> </li><li>Kickstart your recruitment efforts. You can recruit employees on <a href="https://www.acas.org.uk/hiring-someone" target="_blank">your own</a>, or by using a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/using-a-recruitment-agency-to-find-staff?step-by-step-nav=47bcdf4c-9df9-48ff-b1ad-2381ca819464" target="_blank">recruitment agency</a>. </li><li>Check that the candidate has the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/check-job-applicant-right-to-work?step-by-step-nav=47bcdf4c-9df9-48ff-b1ad-2381ca819464" target="_blank">right to work in the UK</a></li><li>Find out if they require a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/dbs-check-applicant-criminal-record?step-by-step-nav=47bcdf4c-9df9-48ff-b1ad-2381ca819464" target="_blank">DBS check</a></li><li>Check if you need to enrol the employee into a workplace pension scheme. Here's a <a href="https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/employers/new-employers" target="_blank">guide for first-time employers</a>. If you've already hired employees previously, refer to this <a href="https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/employers/new-employers/im-an-employer-who-has-to-provide-a-pension/declare-your-compliance/ongoing-duties-for-employers-" target="_blank">resource</a> instead. </li><li>Before carrying out salary negotiations, you need to check the National Minimum Wage for different <a href="https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates?step-by-step-nav=47bcdf4c-9df9-48ff-b1ad-2381ca819464" target="_blank">ages</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/minimum-wage-different-types-work?step-by-step-nav=47bcdf4c-9df9-48ff-b1ad-2381ca819464" target="_blank">types of jobs</a>. You'll also need to finalise the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/employment-contracts-and-conditions" target="_blank">employment contract</a>, and provide a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/employment-contracts-and-conditions/written-statement-of-employment-particulars?step-by-step-nav=47bcdf4c-9df9-48ff-b1ad-2381ca819464" target="_blank">written statement of employment particulars</a> within 2 months of the start of employment. </li><li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/new-employee?step-by-step-nav=47bcdf4c-9df9-48ff-b1ad-2381ca819464" target="_blank">Notify HMRC</a> that you've hired a new employee. Make sure you're aware of the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/running-payroll?step-by-step-nav=47bcdf4c-9df9-48ff-b1ad-2381ca819464" target="_blank">steps you need to take when you start paying your employee</a>.<br></li></ul><p>If you're hiring staff for the first time, refer to HMRC's guide on the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/employing-staff" target="_blank">steps you need to take</a>.</p>

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