Start with what the place needs
Before choosing where to look, write down the hours, the pay, what a normal day involves and what you'd teach someone. Then decide the one thing that matters most: does this person need to arrive already knowing the work, or can you train them?
If you can train, far more people are open to you, and the question becomes whether someone suits how your place runs.
The main ways to find people, compared
| Where you look | What it costs | What you see first | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Word of mouth, a sign in the window, your own social pages | Free | People who already know your place | Local roles when you're not in a hurry |
| Find a job, the GOV.UK service | Free | CVs and forms from people looking for work | Reaching people registered with Jobcentre Plus |
| Job boards | Usually a fee per advert or per click | CVs, often a lot of them | Roles that need particular experience |
| Recruitment agencies | Usually a share of the first year's pay | A few people the agency has picked | Senior or hard to fill roles |
| Apprenticeships | Wages, with government help towards the training | People who want to learn a trade | Roles you can build a year or more of training around |
| Someo | Free to set up and meet people. £8 to publish a role | How each person works, in plain words, and why they'd suit you | Roles you can train someone into, and meeting people before you need them |
Before someone starts: the legal basics
Taking someone on for the first time comes with a short list of things to have in place. GOV.UK sets them out step by step:
- Work out what it will cost: at least the minimum wage, plus National Insurance and pension contributions.
- Make sure the workplace is safe for them.
- Register as an employer with HMRC and set up PAYE.
- Check your workplace pension duties.
- Get employers' liability insurance.
- Check they have the right to work in the UK, and give them a written statement of their terms.
Where Someo fits
Someo is for places that would rather meet the right person than read a pile of CVs. You describe how your place runs in a short chat. Someo shows you people whose way of working overlaps with it, each with a sentence or two on why, and never as a number or a league table.
You don't need a role open. Setting up and meeting people is free, and you can say yes to anyone you'd like to talk to. A conversation opens when they say yes too. When there's a role to fill, publishing it is £8 for 30 days, with no subscription and no fee when you take someone on.