How to Hire an Employee in Oregon

Businesses operating in Oregon have access to a wealth of talent. Oregon has a wide breadth of business industries including being one of the leading job providers in manufacturing, and one of the fastest-growing tech sectors as well. That being said, the state employment requirements and the high standards of employees working in Oregon can make it challenging to hire an employee in Oregon. To make an effective hire in Oregon, follow the guidelines of this post and present new hires with all federally required forms and information.

Evaluate the Job You Are Offering in Oregon

To make skilled hires in Oregon, you must be sure that the compensation you're offering is appropriate for the area you operate in and the level of experience you want from candidates. This can differ throughout the different cities in Oregon. Along with the actual compensation offered, you should evaluate other job characteristics that talented candidates will be interested in, like:

• The level of autonomy, creative control, or budgetary discretion they will have.
• Health benefits, retirement, and other business perks.
• The tools and resources they will have access to.
• Your company's reputation as an employer

You can use Glassdoor Salaries to see the salary range for the position you're offering in your area and ensure that you aren't marketing a job that is impossible to hire.  

Hiring an Employee in Oregon

The salary you're offering needs to be appropriate when you're hiring an employee in Oregon, but your open job also needs to be marketed in the right way. People working in some of Oregon's most popular industries, such as tech and manufacturing, expect a lot from their employer, and will pass on job opportunities that don't align with their salary expectations or needs. Many companies hiring in Oregon devote much more of their job descriptions to appealing to readers and explaining their company's culture, than enumerating job requirements. When your job advertising speaks to readers at a high level and is more geared toward explaining what your company offers as an employer, it will impress candidates who know they are qualified for your open roles. You can get into more specifics once they have applied, but, to get their interest in the first place, it is best to summarize requirements that will be understood by high-level candidates. To see some examples of how jobs are being marketed in your area, you can search Glassdoor Jobs for the position you're hiring for, and get some ideas for your job description.

Evaluate Candidates and Potential Employees in Oregon

When evaluating candidates for an open job, it's important to think about fit, both in terms of the work that a candidate will do and in terms of their fit with your company. No matter how proficient a candidate is at completing the work you need done, they won't be retained in the long term if they don't experience fit with your company or their co-workers. Because of this, candidates should be evaluated for:

• Technical skill to complete work required by the role
• Aspirational fit with work required by the role
• Personality fit with coworkers and direct managers
• Personal and ethical fit with your company

When interviewing candidates, it is important that you do not ask any questions that are considered discriminatory on the basis or race, gender, gender identity, religion, age or other demographic information that is protected by discrimination law.

Comply With Oregon State Employment Standards

Oregon is generally considered a moderately strict state for hiring, but not nearly as strict as California. All employers must comply with these basic standards and regulations. Here are the employment requirements that all employers must meet in Oregon when hiring a new employee:

Federal and State Employment Required Posters in Oregon

Employers in Oregon are required to display both federal and state employment posters. Small Employers (Less than 25 employees): Small Oregon employers need to provide the following postings: 1. Oregon State Minimum Wage poster 2. Oregon OSHA poster 3. Oregon Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence, Harassment, Sexual Assault & Stalking 4. Federal Minimum Wage poster 5. "EEO is the Law" poster 6. Federal Polygraph Protection Notice 7. Federal USERRA (military rights) poster Large Oregon Employers (25 or more employees): In addition to the postings listed above, large employers will need to post information regarding: 1. Oregon Family Leave Act 2. Federal Family and Medical Leave Act Agricultural Employers: In addition to most of the postings listed for large employers, agricultural employers need to display the following additional notices: 1. Migrant & Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act Poster 2. Field Sanitation Notice 3. "Protect yourself from pesticides" Poster 4. BOLI Notice to Agricultural Employees Employees in Oregon must be presented with the following forms and informational pamphlets as they undergo new hire orientation. Forms must be filled out completely, unless these forms are specific claims and informational resources must be read completely by new employees:

• I-9, Employment Eligibility Form
• W-4, Federal Tax Withholding Form
• Disability Self-Identification Form (if business is done with government)
• Notice of Workers Compensation Coverage Form
• Combined Employer's Registration Form
• Oregon New Hire Reporting Form
• Employers must follow all requirements of Oregon's New Hire Reporting Program

  The following information must be included in the report of new hires: 1. Company name 2. Company address 3. Company federal tax ID number 4. Employee's name 5. Employee's social security number 6. Employee's address 7. First day of paid work

• Employers must deposit and report federal employment taxes to the IRS by following IRS procedures for payroll reporting and payment
• Follow all Oregon EEO standards during the hiring process

New Hire Checklist and Reporting in Oregon

There's a lot to keep track of when making a new hire in Oregon, so you can use this checklist to help you as you hire new employees. Required Employment Forms in Oregon The new hire has signed the following forms: 1. Signed Job Offer Letter 2. W2 Tax Form 3. I-9 Form and Supporting Documents 4. Direct Deposit Authorization Form (Template) 5. Federal W-4 Form 6. Employee Personal Data Form (Template) 7. Company Worker's Compensation Insurance Policy Forms 8. Company Health Insurance Policy Forms 9. Disability Self-Identification Form (if business is done with government) 10. Company Non-Disclosure Agreement (if applicable)

Oregon Employee Payroll Tax and Reporting Requirements

● Report new employees within 20 days of start of their work date with a Report of New Employee(s) ● Deposit and report federal employment taxes to the IRS by following IRS procedures for payroll reporting and payment You should also check with your city and country to see if they have any other requirements for the hiring of new employees and any employment standards in addition to the statewide requirements.

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