HR Basics Before Your First Hire: Job Descriptions and Onboarding
Hiring your first employee is a turning point. It gives you time back, but it also makes you an employer, with payroll, employment standards and workplace safety duties from the first shift. A clearly defined role and a good start also help the hire succeed.
This guide covers the HR basics to settle before you hire, with Alberta and Saskatchewan examples. The steps are similar elsewhere in Canada, but the rules differ by province.
Define the role before you post anything
List the tasks you want to hand off and the hours each takes in a typical week. This shows whether you need full-time, part-time or seasonal help.
Decide which results the person will own, not just which tasks they will do.
Confirm that the role is employment. The actual working relationship decides this, not the label you use. The CRA's guide RC4110, Employee or Self-employed? explains the factors, such as control over the work and who carries the financial risk. If you are unsure, you or the worker can ask the CRA for a ruling.
Budget for the full cost. Employers pay Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions equal to the employee's share and Employment Insurance (EI) premiums that are generally 1.4 times the employee's share, plus vacation and holiday pay, workers' compensation premiums where they apply, equipment and training time.
Write a clear job description
A job description is the base for your job ad, interview questions, offer letter and later performance conversations. One or two pages is enough:
Title and purpose: a plain job title and why the role exists.
Key duties: five to eight main responsibilities, most important first.
Success measures: a few measurable results for the first six to twelve months.
Requirements: what the job truly needs, kept separate from what would be nice to have.
Working conditions: hours, schedule (including any evening, weekend or shift work), location and physical demands.
Reporting: who the person reports to and works with.
Keep every requirement tied to the job. Human rights laws, such as the Alberta Human Rights Act and Saskatchewan's Human Rights Code, protect job applicants from discrimination. Both provinces' human rights commissions publish guidance on what to avoid in job ads, application forms and interviews, such as questions about age, family status, religion or health. To advertise at no cost, you can use Job Bank, Canada's national employment service.
Set up the employer basics before day one
Payroll account: Add a payroll account to your CRA Business Number before your first remittance is due, which is generally the 15th of the month after you first withhold deductions.
Pay schedule: Choose your pay periods, payday and a way to calculate deductions. In Alberta, for example, employees must be paid at least once a month, within 10 days after each pay period ends, with a statement of earnings for each pay period.
Workers' compensation: Coverage is required in most industries. In Alberta, employers in mandatory industries must open a WCB-Alberta account within 15 days of hiring their first worker. In Saskatchewan, the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) requires registration within 30 days of beginning work or hiring workers.
Workplace safety: Alberta employers must make sure workers have the training to do their jobs safely and know the hazards at the work site. Saskatchewan employers must give new, inexperienced and transferred workers a basic health and safety orientation.
Records: Keep a secure file for each employee. Alberta requires employment records to be kept for 3 years. Saskatchewan requires payroll records, which include a brief job description, for the most recent five years of employment, plus two years after an employee leaves.
Prepare the offer and new-hire paperwork
Put the offer in writing: job title, start date, pay and pay schedule, hours, location, vacation, any benefits and any probation period. Check it against your province's employment standards, which set minimum rules for hours of work, overtime, vacation, holidays and termination.
Have an employment lawyer review your offer letter or employment agreement template.
Collect the employee's social insurance number (SIN). The CRA expects you to get it within 3 days of the day the person starts work or, if it is not provided, to show that you made a reasonable effort to get it.
Have the employee complete the federal TD1 form and, where required, the provincial form (TD1AB in Alberta or TD1SK in Saskatchewan).
Collect direct deposit details and an emergency contact once the offer is accepted.
Collect only the personal information you need and keep it secure. In Alberta, the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) allows employers to collect and use personal employee information for reasonable purposes related to the employment relationship, with reasonable notice to current employees.
Plan onboarding for the first day, week and 90 days
A written onboarding plan helps a new person learn the job and the way you work, and you can reuse it for future hires.
Before day one: prepare the workspace, equipment, accounts and keys, and send a welcome note with the start time, location and who to ask for.
Day one: introductions, a tour, the health and safety orientation (hazards, emergency procedures, first aid and how to report concerns), paperwork and a walk-through of the job description.
First week: shadowing, your key SOPs and checklists, a few small tasks to build confidence, and a short daily check-in.
First 30 to 90 days: agreed goals, regular one-on-one meetings, feedback in both directions, and a review before any probation period ends.
Keep a written record of the training and orientation you provide, as Saskatchewan's guidance recommends.
Put a few simple policies in writing
Your first employee will ask questions you have never had to answer. A short handbook can cover hours and breaks, time off, paydays, expenses, use of equipment, confidentiality, conduct and how to raise a concern, including how you prevent and respond to harassment and violence. In Alberta, for example, employers must prevent violence and harassment in the workplace.
How First Global Citizen can help
We help founders prepare for their first hire, from job descriptions, onboarding checklists, SOPs and a short employee handbook to simple HR records and payroll account registration with the CRA. Our online courses and mentoring help owners build the skills to lead a small team. We do not recruit or place candidates.
We agree on the scope and a fixed fee in a written proposal before work starts, and pass on any government or registry fees at cost. For employment law, tax or accounting questions, we coordinate with independent licensed professionals rather than advising on them ourselves. To plan your first hire, book a free consultation.
This article is general information only. It is not legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Fees and requirements can change, so confirm current details with the relevant government agency or registry. For advice about your situation, consult a qualified professional.
Comments