With the ever-changing and growing nature of startup companies, along with the unique company cultures many of them have, hiring the right people can be a challenge. You want to hire someone that has the skills you need, is trustworthy, gets along with others at your company, and has similar values and goals, among other things. Once you have some sound methods in place to follow, the startup hiring process can be much less nerve-wracking. Here are some tips on how to recruit talent for a startup:
1) Learn How to Identify Company Values in Candidates
One of the most important recruiting tips for startups is to identify what values and characteristics are at the heart of your company, it’s employees and how you do business. Examples of values and characteristics important to many companies are teamwork, honesty, effective time management, putting the customer first, thoroughness and accuracy, etc. Once you are aware of what values and characteristics you want, start looking for them in candidates you interview. The more practice you get interviewing candidates, the easier it will become to identify these values.
2) Always be on the lookout for talent
Even if you aren’t currently hiring for any roles, here is a key tip on how to recruit talent for a startup: always be on the lookout for qualified talent. Connect with candidates on social media networks such as LinkedIn, travel to hiring events, ask your current employees to identify talent in their own professional networks. To maintain a good employment branding reputation for your company, always be courteous with any applicants that don’t get the job they applied for. Maintain a clear channel of communication by letting them know where they are in the hiring process and when the position is filled. Build a pool of talent and keep them updated on your company’s job openings, website and media content, awards, etc. Also, one of the best recruiting tips for hiring managers at startups is to interview candidates on an ongoing basis. That way you improve your interviewing skills, and become more familiar with what qualified talent is out there and what their expectations are for salary, benefits, work flexibility, career development, etc.
3) Consider Hiring Temps and Interns
You never know for sure how hard a candidate will work until you see them in action. Since many startups are rapidly growing and changing in so many ways, it can be tough knowing what candidates can grow with you. Also, assessing whether a candidate is a cultural fit is an important step in how to recruit talent for a startup. Many startups have small staffs that have unique characteristics in common. These characteristics are often an important part of how everyone does business together. For example, maybe everyone on your staff is outgoing and isn’t afraid to show humor in the workplace. Hiring someone that doesn’t share this quality can have a huge negative affect on the business.
Since it can be hard to determine from a resume and interview a candidate work performance, along with how well they will fit in with your company, one of the important recruiting tips for startups is to consider hiring for temporary positions or internships. That way both you and the candidate can have some time to determine if the situation is a good long-term fit. This is a solution that has benefits for both your company and the temporary employee. If the person you hire isn’t long term material for your company, you can leave them with a good reference. Or maybe they aren’t a fit for that particular role, but will still be of value to your company in another capacity.
4) Don’t Hesitate Too Much on Hiring Decisions
Once you find a qualified candidate for your startup, don’t wait too long before sending them a job offer. Chances are they have other opportunities pouring in that could snatch them up before you do. To avoid frustrating an eager candidate with the right skills, experience and personality, don’t drag out the hiring process any longer than necessary. In today’s job market, qualified talent is hard to come by.
Also read: Empower Your Staff! Customer Service Tips for Startups
Author: Jessica Cody
Jessica Cody, a native of Fairfield County, Connecticut, has a background in online marketing and public relations. Currently, she works at VHMNetwork LLC in the role of Marketing Analyst. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where she studied Journalism and Political Science. She is also an avid runner with a passion for the outdoors.
