Something that's been on our mind as we expand is the seemingly never-ending lists of "stuff" that has to happen for the store to function effectively. There are a lot of behind the scenes activities that, while small, are time consuming. TheDude and I know that we simply don't have enough time to do all of it- even with taking it home, extra shifts and coming in early.
So we're thinking about hiring an employee.
Hiring someone brings about an entirely new set of problems beyond most of the mundane ones we deal with every day.
There are a ton of things that come up when looking at hiring employees. It's pretty mind-boggling. Here in the States, workman's compensation is a huge concern- even with just one employee. It's honestly pretty hard to get hurt in a game store, but regardless, we have to talk to our insurance agent about more coverage. It's not cheap.
Then, before we hire anyone, we have to make sure we have a handbook. With rules, and guidelines, and expectations.
It's not just "show up and have fun"- it's so much more. It honestly takes an employment lawyer to know all the things you have to cover.
All of these concerns and more- plus, do we hire a gamer? Or are there other traits we want MORE from an employee?
What kind of pay? How many hours? What jobs to we ask the employee to do and which ones are sensitive enough that we need to handle them? And most of all, how will our customers feel about anyone we might hire?
These are just some of the things we have to take into consideration when the "hire someone" conversation comes up. Some days, we dream of being able to leave the store to our employees and take a day off- but we are a long way from there; despite our growth.
We have a lot to think about before we hire anyone - but I'd love to hear what you think a FLGS should consider when hiring. Have at it- tell me the good, the bad and the ugly.
So we're thinking about hiring an employee.
Hiring someone brings about an entirely new set of problems beyond most of the mundane ones we deal with every day.
There are a ton of things that come up when looking at hiring employees. It's pretty mind-boggling. Here in the States, workman's compensation is a huge concern- even with just one employee. It's honestly pretty hard to get hurt in a game store, but regardless, we have to talk to our insurance agent about more coverage. It's not cheap.
Then, before we hire anyone, we have to make sure we have a handbook. With rules, and guidelines, and expectations.
It's not just "show up and have fun"- it's so much more. It honestly takes an employment lawyer to know all the things you have to cover.
All of these concerns and more- plus, do we hire a gamer? Or are there other traits we want MORE from an employee?
What kind of pay? How many hours? What jobs to we ask the employee to do and which ones are sensitive enough that we need to handle them? And most of all, how will our customers feel about anyone we might hire?
We have a lot to think about before we hire anyone - but I'd love to hear what you think a FLGS should consider when hiring. Have at it- tell me the good, the bad and the ugly.
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