Most work in a small place is learned on the job. If you can teach it, experience matters less than how someone works, learns and gets on with people. Here's how to tell.
Free to set up and meet people. No subscription, no fee per hire.
Last reviewed November 2026
When it works well
Taking on a beginner works when the work can be taught in weeks, someone has time to teach it, and you can be honest about what the first month is like. You get someone who learns your way of doing things from the start.
It works less well when the role carries risk from day one or there's nobody free to show them. Be honest with yourself about which you are.
What to look for instead of experience
Reliability: do they turn up, on time, when they say they will?
How they learn: by watching, by doing, by asking? Does that match how you teach?
How they are with people: customers, a small team, or mostly their own company.
Pace: some people are at their best when it's busy, others when they can take care over one thing.
Whether they'd actually enjoy this kind of day. Someone who would is worth more than someone who has merely done it before.
How to meet someone who has never had a job
1Ask about real situations from school, home, sport, caring or volunteering: a time something went wrong, a time they had to stick at something.
2Show them the place and describe an honest busy day, including the dull parts.
3Let them ask questions. What they ask tells you what they care about.
4If you'd both like a try-out, keep it short and supervised. If it turns into real work, pay at least the minimum wage for it, and if you're unsure, pay.
Write the daily routine down, however obvious it seems to you.
Check in briefly at the end of each shift for the first fortnight.
Say plainly what good looks like, and tell them when they've done it.
How Someo helps
Someo is built for exactly this. People have a short chat about how they work, learn and get on with others, with no questions about past jobs, and approve the description Someo writes. You describe how your place runs.
Someo then shows you who overlaps and says why in a sentence or two. Every role on Someo is one that comes with training, so the people you meet know that's the deal. Setting up and meeting people is free, and publishing a role is £8.
You don't need a role open.
Most places only start looking when someone hands in their notice. On Someo you can set up your place, see who overlaps with how it runs and say yes to people you'd like to meet, with nothing advertised. People who overlap can tell you they'd like to work there too. When you both say yes, a conversation opens.
Questions businesses ask
Is it worth hiring someone with no experience?+
Often, yes, if the work can be taught and someone has time to teach it. You get a person who learns your way of working from the start, and you can choose on reliability and attitude.
What should I ask someone who has never had a job?+
Ask about real situations from school, home, sport or volunteering: a time something went wrong, something they stuck at, how they like to learn. Then describe an honest day and see how they respond.
Do I have to pay for a trial shift?+
A short try-out that is genuinely part of choosing someone may not need to be paid. If someone is doing real work for you, they must be paid at least the minimum wage. If you're unsure, pay for it, or ask Acas.
Where do I find people with no experience who want to work?+
Local schools and colleges, Jobcentre Plus and word of mouth all help. On Someo, every person has described how they work and every role comes with training, so you meet people by fit.
What does Someo cost a business?+
Setting up your place and meeting people is free. Publishing a role is £8 for 30 days. There is no subscription and no fee when you take someone on.
Someone you didn't know you needed is already out there.
Get your place ready now, and start meeting people before there's a role to fill.