There are, of course, recruitment consultants who will present you with a short list of suitable candidates. But few small businesses will be looking for specialist or highly paid employees and the process is likely to be a DIY one. Nevertheless, the Employment Service can provide useful information and the discipline of filling in the template on the Grampian Careers website can help to clarify your thinking.

Start by writing out a job specification, with details of the routine tasks. Think about the essential skills and qualifications, and reject anyone who fails to meet your criteria. But consider too what you hope the job will become, and ensure that applicants have the potential to grow with the job. Focus closely on the requirements of the job.

Take care be scrupulously fair in the recruitment process. Legislation prohibits discrimination on grounds of race, sex or disability. Document your decisions, and where you reject candidates make a note of why they did not meet the requirements of the job.

Don't offer employment at the interview. Take a day to reflect on your decision. Always take up references, and find out what the referees say before you are committed. Increasingly employees are lying on their CVs. Of course, none of yours ever would. Would they?

And there is absolutely no point in allowing someone to start work before you are satisfied that references (or other conditions in the offer) are satisfactory. And overlook the Home Office “Immigration and Nationality Directorate” rules designed to prevent illegal working at your peril.  You HAVE to carry out document checks (keeping a copy of the full birth certificate and P45 etc.) or you have no statutory defence and risk a £5,000 fine.  If you cannot obtain the documents the advice is not to employ that person.   For full details see the preventing illegal working section of the Home Office website and learn about “building a safe, just and tolerant society” where the only material to hand is red tape.