The Bookstore Hiring Guide

Hiring employees can seem like a nerve-wracking process, but it doesn't have to be. We break the process down into four basic steps: (1) Planning; (2) Recruiting; (3) Interviewing; and (4) Completing the Hire. Here are some tips for each phase of the process

Plan to Staff Your Business

A bookstore’s atmosphere is a key element in building a loyal customer base, and friendly employees who are passionate about literature help tremendously. All of your retail employees should have an interest in books so that they will be able to answer customer’s questions and make recommendations.

When first starting out, you (as the owner) may be the sole employee for a while. It is up to you whether you want to hire dedicated cashiers, sales associates, and stockers to manage inventory, or hire employees who can each perform all of these jobs.

Develop a Recruiting Strategy

Recruitment can happen through any conventional means, from online job postings, to flyers around town. You probably won’t be able to recruit solely people with experience at a previous bookstore, so look for applicants with retail experience and an interest in literature.

Interview with Confidence

If you take your time during the planning and recruiting phases of the process, you will likely end up with many qualified candidates.

Nonetheless, it is natural for a new business owner to be a bit anxious the first time hiring employees. Don’t forget that the interview is just a chance to get to know an applicant and to give them an opportunity to learn more about the role and the business. Also, it might help to remember that they are probably even more nervous than you are!

Throughout the interview process, it may help to keep in mind that most bookstores look for employees who are:

• Passionate about literature
• Customer-oriented

Here are some sample interview questions that will help you learn more about the character of your interviewees:

• Talk about the last good book you’ve read.
• Describe how you would handle an unsatisfied customer.

• Describe a time you had to perform a job while under stress.

Be Familiar with Hiring Laws

After selecting a job candidate, there are certain steps you will need to follow to complete the hiring process. Check out our Hiring Compliance Checklist for a step-by-step guide to the legal aspects of hiring employees.

One of the most important steps is to classify your new hire as an employee or an independent contractor. Become familiar with IRS guidelines on this matter, as there are serious consequences for misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor.

Once you have a growing team of employees, it's time to set up your payroll. Using a payroll service provider saves you time for running your business, and also helps ensure that you comply with important federal requirements such as employee tax withholding.

To help our readers save money and grow their business, we negotiated a 20% discount for you with payroll provider ADP, the most popular small business provider in the country.