With the New Year quickly rolling in, a lot of interior design professionals are re-evaluating and restructuring their business plan and aiming for the stars! In order to grow, you’re going to need some help.

For many of us, our businesses are like our children, and we don’t want to hand the job off to just anyone. Choosing a second-in-command and developing an Interior Design HR plan doesn’t have to be stressful.

Here are a few tips on prepping your firm to expand:

Set Expectations

Create a detailed job outline before you begin the hiring process! This may seem obvious, but it’s often a missing piece to the puzzle. Sometimes we assume that we’ll be fantastic delegators, and then fail to give the right kind of instructions. Make sure to set up your assistant for success by establishing what you expect before they enter the picture.

• Are you looking for an office assistant, or a design assistant?
• What skills are a must, and which are happy bonuses?
• What are your pet peeves?
• What are your weaknesses as a business?
• How many hours per week can you keep someone busy?

The Technical Stuff

Now that you have a clear picture of who you need, it’s time to figure out what you can offer. Everyone’s worth a million bucks, but we don’t always have a million to give. Set a budget in the beginning, and prepare to negotiate. Start lower and expect a potential hire to ask for more.

A budget should take into consideration things like a W2 employee (factor in a bit for insurance and benefits) vs. a 1099 employee (contractor). Choose one based on your evaluation of who you need. A W2 employee may be better if you’re looking for full-time help, like a design assistant, while a contractor may be better if you’re looking for a few hours a week of help – someone to de-clutter your desk and to-do list a bit.

A lot of us creative thinkers want to offer the moon and stars, but it’s important to be realistic with your budget. You can still be an amazing employer with happy employees, without breaking the bank beyond your comfort level.

Ready, Set, Hire!

Now that you’ve made some decisions, it’s time to put out an ad. Check your local want ads to see if other design firms are hiring for similar positions if you need a competitive edge or some copywriting inspiration!

Places to Post your Ad:

• Craigslist – For $75 you can post an ad for 1 week. Craigslist is the go-to place for most looking for a job. The only downside? Your inbox will be flooded with spam. Keep any personal info private!
• Indeed.com – Indeed is a great tool. You pay per click, and there is a category for interior design!
• Monster – A lot like Indeed, but with the added bonus of profile pages. Browse their system to find the employee of your dreams, instead of waiting for them to come to you. A great tool!
• InteriorDesign.net – If you’re looking for a design assistant, InteriorDesign.net has a job board for the industry. This would be your best bet if you are looking for someone with interior design experience.
• Social Media – Tap into your network! Twitter and LinkedIn can be great for finding prospects.

For more hiring tools and advice, leave us a question in the comments.