Barclays Guide to Managing Staff for the Small Business

This guide to employing staff is aimed at managers and owners of small businesses who are planning to employ staff for the first time or expand their existing workforce. How do you recruit the best person for the job? How should you train and develop your employees? What employment legislation must you be aware of? Do you know the differences betweeen a fair and unfair dismissal? The book answers these and many other employment questions, showing owners and managers of small businesses how to handle staff successfully. Each chapter examines a separate but complementary employment issue, ranging from recruitement through to training and development to terminating employment. Current legislation is explained, potential problems highlighted and practical advice and solutions given. Checklists, summaries and sources of further reading and advice are featured throughout the text. comprehensive and written in highly readable style, The Barclays Guide to Managing Staff for the Small Business is essentail reading for all employers in small businesses, whatever their trade or industry.

Foreword ix Preface xi Acknowledgements xiii 1 Calculating your staff needs 1 Assessing requirements 2 Job analysis 6 The job description 7 The person specification 10 Planning for the future 11 2 Recruiting staff 15 Sources of recruitment 15 Advertising vacancies 24 Assessing and shortlisting 27 Interviewing and selecting 37 Offers of employment 46 Accepting the job offer 48 3 Training staff 53 Induction 53 Identifying training needs 57 Training methods 58 Planning a training programme 60 Evaluating training 62 Staff assessment 63 4 Employing staff 68 Contracts of employment 68 Pay and deductions 70 Statutory Sick Pay 78 Maternity benefits 82 Holidays and time off 85 Avoiding discrimination 86 Health and safety at work 90 5 Controlling staff 94 Making decisions 94 Setting rules and procedures 95 Disciplinary procedure 97 Grievance procedure 100 6 Dealing with staff 103 Communicating with staff 103 Dealing with problems 106 Satisfying and motivating staff 108v Staff representation 114 7 Ending employment 118 Giving notice 118 Handling resignations 120 Dismissing staff 121 Redundancy 125 Industrial tribunals 128 8 Employment lay 134 Calculating your staff needs 135 Recruiting staff 135 Training staff 136 Employing staff 136 Controlling staff 138 Dealing with staff 139 Ending employment 139 Appendix: Sources of information 142 Glossary 146 Further reading 149