Hiring Basics for Small Business Owners: Q&A

Hiring the right employees starts well before someone’s first day on the job. A clear job description and a thoughtful interview process can help you identify what you really need, evaluate candidates consistently, and find the right person for the role.

In a previous post, our HR Senior Manager at Business Impact NW, Ashley Clark, covered some HR basics that small business owners should consider. Here, she answers some common questions about the hiring process.

What are the basic legal requirements for hiring employees? 

Whether you are hiring one person or many, you will need to comply with state and federal labor laws as an employer. Requirements include registering as an employer, verifying an employee’s eligibility to work, setting up payroll and tax reporting, obtaining required insurance, maintaining employment records, and following applicable wage and workplace laws.

In Washington State, you must have a registered business to hire employees. Businesses must establish employer accounts with the Washington State Department of Revenue (DOR) to report employee hours and wages no sooner than 90 days before you plan to hire. By submitting the application, your business will be registered for Workers’ Compensation with the Department of Labor & Industries and for Unemployment taxes with the Employment Security Department. After registering, you will receive account information and instructions on how to file quarterly wage/hour reports from each agency.

It is your responsibility to report your new hires to the Department of Social and Health Services within 20 days of hiring.

How do I write a job description? 

There are many ways to start a job description. We usually start with a brief summary of the position, a list of 5–8 essential job duties, and qualifications. Try to identify and focus on what is most critical for success in the role, then the “nice to haves.”

There are great tools available online for free but, as always, be sure to check anything AI-generated for accuracy before using it!

What is the difference between a job description and a job posting?

Think of a job description as the internal blueprint for a role, and a job posting as the external advertisement for it. A job posting is outward facing, used when hiring for the role. You want to attract candidates and outline qualifications and expectations. A job description may use the same basic information, but it is usually internal and should be reviewed regularly and updated if the role changes.

In addition to information from the job description, a job posting should also include a brief description of the company, how the role fits into it, and information about what kind of position this is (full-time or part-time? Salary or hourly? In person or remote? etc.), and any benefits offered. In many states, you will also need to include wage information and an equal opportunity hiring disclosure.

In both cases, it’s important to remember to make it about the role, not the person.

What should small business owners know before conducting interviews?

Depending on where you are located, laws about what you can and cannot ask in an interview can vary. For example, Washington State prohibits employers from asking pre-employment questions that reveal protected status, such as race, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability, or marital status.

Your goal is to hire the best person for the job. Sometimes called “skills-based hiring,” interviews should assess a candidate’s ability to do the job, rather than rely on personal background, connections, or unrelated experience.

You want to stick to job-related questions and use the same process to evaluate everyone. Avoid requiring candidates to submit a photo or look them up on social media before the interview.

It can be helpful to write down the questions you want to ask beforehand or use a template and take notes during the interview. You may want to do multiple rounds of interviews for comparison, but avoid dragging the process out too long, or you may lose interested applicants.

At Business Impact NW, for example, our interview process includes a phone interview, a group interview, and a one-on-one with the position supervisor. Interviewing in person (as opposed to phone or virtual-only) is still best whenever possible.

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Considering contractors instead? Independent Contractors in Washington State