Taking on your first employee is a real milestone for any business. GOV.UK created a list of 7 points that business people need to think about when employing for the first time. 

1. Decide how much to pay someone - you must pay your employee at least the National Minimum Wage [6].
2. Check if someone has the legal right to work [7] in the UK. You may have to do other employment checks as well.
3. Check if you need to apply for a DBS check [8] (formerly known as a CRB check) if you work in a field that requires one, for example working with vulnerable people or in security.
4. Get employment insurance - you need employers’ liability insurance [9] as soon as you become an employer.
5. Send details of the job (including terms and conditions) in writing to your employee. You need to give your employee a written statement of employment [10] if you’re employing someone for more than 1 month.
6. Tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) by registering as an employer [11] - you can do this up to 4 weeks before you pay your new staff.  
7. Check if you need to automatically enroll your staff [12] into a workplace pension scheme.

When finding staff to recruit there are a few ways that you can try to find staff members, such as local and national newspapers, LinkedIn, agencies, and websites. Below is a list of websites that advertise jobs listings:

• www.cv-library.co.uk [13]
• www.monster.co.uk [14]
• www.gov.uk/advertise-job [15]
• www.indeed.co.uk [16]
• www.reed.co.uk [17] 

Apprenticeships benefit employers and individuals, and by boosting the skills of the workforce they help to improve economic productivity, improve product or service quality, increase staff morale and increase staff retention. You can get help from the government to pay for apprenticeship training. The amount you get depends on whether you pay the apprenticeship levy or not. Visit the Employing an Apprentice [18] webpages for more information.

Farnborough College of Technology

Visit the Farnborough College of Technology [19] website to view the range of support options for businesses, including recruitment, training, apprenticeships and redundancy support.

Basingstoke College of Technology

Visit the Basingstoke College of Technology [20] website to view the employer-focused courses and apprenticeships.

The government has introduced the Kickstart Scheme in Great Britain, a £2 billion fund to create hundreds of thousands of high quality 6-month work placements aimed at those aged 16 to 24 who are on Universal Credit and are deemed to be at risk of long term unemployment. Any businesses taking part in the Scheme can apply for £1,500 per job placement available for any admin and training costs.

The Government will fund 100% of the National Minimum Wage for 25 hours per week as well as the associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions.

To find out more visit the Hampshire Chambers of Commerce [21] website or email coral.benham@hampshirechamber.co.uk [22].

Graduates can be adaptable, bring new ideas, and have a higher work productivity, which can be beneficial to businesses. Below are some of the local universities that advertise graduate jobs, work experience, placements, volunteering and seasonal work.

University of Portsmouth [23] - In connection with the University of Portsmouth, Purple Door are able to help employers find the perfect candidate by advertising jobs, and getting you in touch with students and graduates from the University of Portsmouth.

University of Reading [24] - The University of Reading are delighted to work in partnership with organisations that are looking to recruit students and graduates.

University of Southampton [25] - By visiting the University of Southampton webpage employers are able to see how organisations can engage with students from the University of Southampton.

University of Surrey [26] - By visiting the University of Surrey webpage, employers are able to see how organisations can engage with students from the University of Surrey.

AIESEC Internship Programme [27] - Grow your organisation by accessing this dynamic & skilled youth network.