Check the need before you start recruiting
Before looking for a profile, write down what the person will actually do in their first three months. A list of real tasks prevents an overly broad ad and helps you choose between a permanent contract, a fixed-term contract, part-time work or another arrangement, with your accountant or adviser.
Then estimate the full cost of the role: gross salary, employer contributions, equipment and the time you will spend on onboarding. For recruitment itself, separate invoiced costs from the time you spend screening and meeting candidates. Our recruitment-cost guide explains this method with a worked example.
Finally, plan a realistic start date. Publishing, interviews, a candidate’s notice period and formalities often take several weeks. A deadline that is too tight pushes you to hire the first available person instead of the right one.
Write the job ad and choose where to publish it
A clear ad describes the mission, required skills, working conditions and selection process. For a first employee, also explain what makes the role attractive compared with a larger company: autonomy, direct work with the founder and visible impact. Avoid wording that could exclude candidates for reasons unrelated to the job.
Combine a channel you control, such as a career page on your website, with the places candidates already search: France Travail, professional networks, schools or your own network. Properly marked-up job pages may also be considered by Google for Jobs, without any guarantee of indexing.
Screen applications and run comparable interviews
Before reading the first CVs, set three to five job-related criteria. They help you screen quickly and explain your choices. Collect only information useful for recruitment and tell candidates how their data will be used and how long it will be kept.
Ask every candidate the same main questions and take structured notes right after each interview. For a first hire, involving a second trusted person, even occasionally, reduces the risk of deciding on a single impression. Reply to unsuccessful candidates too: your company’s image is at stake.
Keep a record of each step: date received, reply sent, interview notes. A simple spreadsheet can work at first; beyond a few dozen applications it becomes hard to know who is still waiting for an answer and why a profile was set aside.
Formalities to complete before day one
Once the offer is accepted, several steps must be completed before the start date, and their order matters: the DPAE in particular cannot safely be fixed afterwards. If you do not run payroll yet, your accountant or a scheme such as the TESE (titre emploi service entreprise) can handle part of the declarations.
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Declare the hire
File the DPAE with Urssaf (or MSA) electronically before the employee starts. Keep the acknowledgement.
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Put the contract in writing
A written contract is required notably for fixed-term and part-time work. For a full-time permanent contract it remains strongly recommended.
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Keep the staff register
Record the employee in the single staff register on arrival, on paper or digitally with equivalent safeguards.
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Set up social protection
Join the relevant supplementary pension fund and check the applicable health and protection cover with your adviser.
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Check work authorisation
For a non-EEA national, have the work authorisation checked with the prefecture before the hire.
The first month: information, health and safety
Some duties apply after the start date. Since 1 November 2023, employers must give employees written information about the employment relationship in two stages, unless it already appears in the contract or another document. Official templates are available.
The employee must also attend an information and prevention visit with an occupational health professional within three months of starting. Join an occupational health service with your first hire. Risk assessment must also be recorded in the single occupational risk assessment document.
Beyond the legal duties, prepare the arrival itself: workstation and access ready on day one, a list of first-week tasks and regular check-ins during the first month. With a first employee you are manager, HR contact and colleague at once; scheduling these meetings in advance keeps them from disappearing behind daily work. If the contract includes a probation period, these conversations also support an objective review before it ends.
| Deadline | Duty | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Within 7 days | First written information | Parties, workplace, role, pay, working hours |
| Within 1 month | Additional information | Leave, training, collective agreement, social protection |
| Within 3 months | Information and prevention visit | Membership of an occupational health service |
What recruitment software can handle
An ATS is not essential for a first hire, but it keeps applications from getting lost in an inbox. aiKip brings the job ad, career page, applications, interviews and candidate messages into one workspace, with indicative AI analysis: the decision stays yours.
aiKip does not file the DPAE, run payroll or submit social declarations. Those steps remain with the relevant bodies or your accountant. The software covers recruitment, up to the accepted offer.
Frequently asked questions
When should the DPAE be filed for a first employee?
Before the employee starts, electronically on the Urssaf or MSA website. A paper form is only an exception and must be sent no later than the last working day before the hire.
Is a written contract mandatory for a permanent role?
For a full-time permanent contract the law does not always require one, but it is strongly recommended and some collective agreements require it. It is mandatory for fixed-term and part-time contracts.
When must the medical visit take place?
The information and prevention visit must take place within three months of the start date, except for specific cases set by the Labour Code, such as some high-risk roles.
Does aiKip handle hiring formalities?
No. aiKip manages recruitment: job ads, applications, interviews and candidate communication. The DPAE, payroll and social declarations are handled with the relevant bodies or your accountant.