However, just like with public speaking, managers and business owners that enjoy the recruitment process are the exception rather than the rule, and just because you find the whole process about as much fun as having your teeth pulled, that doesn’t mean that by following a few basic rules you too can’t drastically improve your chances of adding a future star to your business.

And that’s one of the reasons why we kicked off our new bi-monthly ‘HR toolkit’ series of features, where we’ll be looking at areas such as performance management, disciplinary/grievance procedures and absence management, with a special on recruitment.

Of course, as some of the stories in this week’s issue sadly prove, one of the challenges in the current climate isn’t likely to be a shortage of candidates. But in some respects, being spoilt for choice can be almost as bad as a dearth of good candidates.

Either way, recruiting and the other HR-related issues mentioned above can be massive drain on your resources, especially if HR is just one of the many hats that you wear at your business.

So hopefully our toolkits will help you to ensure that not only do you get the best people when the time comes, but that you also get the best out of the people you already have.

Because, while it’s a truism that people are often a business’s best asset, the flip-side is that they can also be your biggest problem.