Factors of production play a crucial role in every organization, but they are especially important when it comes to a startup. One of these factors is “labor”, as it is people who will turn our idea into a working startup, and then potentially, into a national or even multinational organization.
Our employees are so important in a startup because they are the foundation of our company, the supporting stones, so to speak. And these stones must be chosen only after much scrutiny. As it was once so wisely stated, “Risk is better when analyzed”.
“There must be an opportunity that matches with our strategy. Just because we have a gap, we don’t want to go and acquire anything and everything. What we acquire should fit in with our strategy, human resources and market expectations.” –Adj Godrej
Best Recruitment Practices for Your Startup
Employees of a startup are the founding members of the startup. They are the pillars which help the startup to achieve its objectives in the very first stage. This is one of the reasons why recruiting is even more hard-hitting in a startup than in a multilevel organization.
Startup hiring is uniquely crucial, so following the traditional process of recruiting will probably not be the right option for you.
Co-founders must be very careful when hiring a staff. If you are running a startup and you want to make sure that your recruiting process is worthwhile, here is a checklist to help guide you:
- Recruitment planning
Recruitment planning refers to knowing the specific goals of each position, based on the needs of the company. Basically, you should know the number of employees the organization will need for accomplishing certain tasks. Do not over staff or under staff your startup, as burdening the employees with too much work or not giving them adequate challenging tasks during the job hours can be harmful to the startup’s growth. Then, after you decide on the number of employees, specifying job requirements is crucial. Making the duties too broad or vague will not be good for you or your employees.
- Twin objectives
Every startup needs to have both a mission and a vision statement. Keep these statements in mind when you recruit. You should make sure that your future employees’ goals match those of the company’s. Because you and the employee will be heading down the same path towards success, neither party needs to compromise. It’s a win-win situation. The focus should be on both the growth of the company and on the growth of each individual employee.
- Target the youth
Younger people generally have a greater understanding of technology, and it helps to have a staff that is aware of every hack in the digital world. In addition to being technologically savvy, young people can be energetic, willing to work hard and learn with a startup. Younger employees are ready to blend in with new ways of work culture and break the old traditional rules. Nothing can be better than this for your startup.
- Retaining
Even though staffing is a recurring process in every organization, including startups, every employer/ co-founder of a startup must remember that retaining their old employees is important. These employees are highly valuable, as they are familiar with your work habits and ethics, and you have invested in them. Retaining your most loyal employees is important.
- Hire those whose passion won’t fade
While startups do not offer high monetary gains, they do offer experience. Not every individual values experience over income; however, passionate individuals will look at the work culture of startups differently. They will work with complete dedication and will contribute to the startup’s culture of innovation. If you have a passionate staff that looks forward to challenging tasks, then you know you have recruited well.
- Reliable staff
Having a reliable staff is a must. Hire an employee whom you can trust and who completes even the most challenging tasks before the deadlines.
- Probation periods are a must
Since this is your first experience hiring employees for your startup, you can’t be completely sure that the person you’re hiring is a good employee. If you put the employee on a probationary period, you can see if his or her skill set and dedication levels are right for you. You can also determine how well the employee’s goals align with those of the startup. Then, if the employee is efficient and culturally aligned with your workplace, you can make this individual a permanent member of your organization.
- Hire an easy-going staff
Having a flexible set of employees for a startup is a must! They should be willing to go the extra mile, and consider themselves an integral part of the startup’s development. An easy-going staff builds a virtuous working environment.
- It is not about qualification, it is about talent
You do not necessarily need to seek highly qualified and experienced staff. When you are hiring, make sure you are looking for talented employees. Qualifications on paper will never satisfy the requirements of a startup, except for a few technical positions. Make note of a person’s habits, views, and personality. Communication skills are very important, so assessing an individual on this will be more apt for startup hiring.
- Cost–benefit analysis
Every employee hired has a place in your budget, as startups usually have a less resources with which to operate. Hiring employees who will be expensive for the startup is probably not the right thing to do. Make sure you have employees who will benefit your startup from a cost-benefit perspective.
Final words
Every startup has a different set of requirements; however, there are certain key qualities that are unavoidable. The most important qualities for a potential startup employee are passion, dedication, flexibility, eagerness, and curiosity.
Having employees who envision their growth alongside that of your startup company is essential. It’s also vital that you motivate and reward your employees consistently, since a startup’s journey can be precarious, and they are in it with you.
About the author: Jasika Adams is a writer with a passion for penning articles about emerging technologies and developments in the areas of human resources, startups, and business management. She is also a Talent Acquisition Manager, currently associated with Index Time Clock.
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