This guide walks UK small business owners through hiring a first employee in six clear steps. It opens by urging founders to build a People Plan tying the hire to a business goal before writing a job spec. It covers researching job title, wage, and benefits, and picking job sites, then structuring an advert while avoiding discrimination against protected characteristics. For shortlisting, it recommends fixed criteria plus short screening calls before longer interviews. The legal checklist covers National Minimum Wage, right to work checks, DBS checks, employer's liability insurance, HMRC registration, and pension enrolment. It also details the two part written statement of employment particulars required by UK law, due on day one and within two months of the start date.

This resource is aimed squarely at solo founders and micro business owners making their very first hire, a moment where a single legal misstep, such as skipping a right to work check or missing the written statement deadline, can create real liability. Framing the hire as tied to a People Plan pushes founders to justify the cost against a clear business outcome rather than hiring reactively out of panic. The legal checklist, sourced from UK government guidance, functions as a compact compliance reference that a first time employer would otherwise have to piece together from multiple separate gov.uk pages. It is most useful as a practical companion during the hiring process itself, rather than as a strategic or financial planning resource.