Hiring can be a daunting task for any organization but it’s particularly intimidating for a startup. Every new hire at a startup plays a critical role in the success and development of the company so the stakes are high when it’s time to select a new member of your team. A million questions arise when considering a new hire: what’s their job description? What prior experience do they need to have? How much should I pay them? What can I, or more importantly, what should I avoid asking in an interview?

Fortunately for Greentown Labs and its member companies, we have the experts at TriNet available for all of our HR and hiring needs. This week members of the TriNet team hosted a Lunch and Learn at Greentown Labs to discuss interview and hiring best practices. TriNet is a cloud-based professional employer organization for small and medium-sized businesses. TriNet administers payroll and health benefits and advises clients on employment law compliance and risk reduction.

TriNet provided great insight with our member companies and we believe it’s relevant for all organizations in the hiring process. Here are the key “do’s” and “don’ts” to keep in mind when growing your team:

Do:

• Draft a strong, informative job description. It should include a reasonable educational and experiential requirement, a description of essential functions, and a listing of “soft skills.”
• Be mindful of your state’s hiring laws and processes. Many states have varying discrimination laws for hiring processes and it’s important to make sure you’re following all of the legal requirements.
• Note the difference between ‘inside vs. outside’ employees in accordance to Fair Labor Standards Act exemption laws. State standards for these laws vary and can lead to costly lawsuits for organizations that do not comply with them.
• Phrase questions in ways that are impersonal and respectful of the candidate. Your job is to identify if they are able to execute the requirements included in the job description, you are not interviewing them to find out if they are married or have children.
• Ask open-ended questions. Develop required core competencies for the position you’re hiring for and formulate open-ended questions for each competency area. These questions provide an opportunity for the candidate to share examples of past experiences. For example, if you’re seeking an effective salesperson, consider asking “Can you tell me about a time when someone disagreed with you and you convinced them to change their view?”
• Keep in mind that nothing a manager says or does is ever “off the record.” Even small, off-the-cuff comments can be used in a legal setting so avoid them at all costs.
• Develop an “applicant flow log” for all positions you hire for and maintain it for at least one year after the position has been filled. This is a legal requirement.

Don’t:

• Take notes on the candidate’s resume during an interview. Make sure your notes are factual, relate to the position and do not write down any personal opinions. You should keep these notes on file for at least two years.
• Ask where someone was born, even if it’s relevant for the visa process. Ask straightforwardly “Do you have the legal right to work here?”
• Ask about marital status or familial status, even if it’s relevant for potential leaves of absence. Ask “What do I need to know now before I hire you?”
• Discriminate against a potential hire because of familial status. If you choose to not hire someone because of his or her family status, you must have a very clear and legitimate reason why.
• Discriminate against a potential employee because they were arrested.

We encourage you to keep these items in mind as you consider your next hire and launch the interview process! Special thank you to Jennifer Poorvu and Joey Painter for spending time with our community this week. If you have any questions or are in need of HR support, please contact Jennifer via LinkedIn or Joey via LinkedIn, or at 781.906.0041 or  joey.painter@trinet.com.