How to Attract Top Talent

Whether you’re the founder of a startup or CEO of a Fortune 500 company, attracting the best talent is crucial. It’s a cliché, but you really are only as strong as your weakest link. It’s just as important to hire the “best” VP of sales as it is to hire the best entry-level admin staff member. One seemingly innocent slip-up can lead to a snowball effect that will bury you, and it’s just as important to know what you don’t need as what you do. Remember that the cost of hiring an employee is much higher than you think.

Luckily, there are some “tricks” to hiring top talent. Take the advice of these StartupGrind founders to heart—they’ve learned the tough lessons for you! The more you can learn from osmosis rather than first-hand experience, the better off you and your company will be. You don't have to invent the wheel. It's already been invented.

 

1. Don’t forget SEO

“The main source of growth was SEO (search engine optimization). We were just submitting things to the search engines,” says Patrick Lee of Rotten Tomatoes fame. SEO isn’t a luxury, but rather a necessary tool for growing any aspect of a business online. It’s a set of best practices to rank your website(s) higher on search engines like Google—so that the top talent will find you. It’s a seemingly no-brainer that often gets overlooked. See what other gold nuggets Rotten Tomatoes has to share on Twitter.

 

2. Research, network and reach out

“Finding people who are my target, I do it through research. It’s exactly what I built the product for. Networking within a very, very specific group of people is how I started,” says Archive.ly’s Perri Gorman. “Networking” and research can take on many different angles, and you’ll need a little trial and error in the early stages. However, make sure to use the technology and software available to narrow down your demographics. Otherwise, you’re opting into double work." Find out more from Archive.ly on Twitter.

 

3. Be ambitious

“When you choose an ambitious idea, it’s so much easier to attract investment, employees, and press, because everyone is excited about this ambitious idea,” notes Gabriel Weinberg of the DuckDuckGo search engine. It’s kind of like the old adage of, "if you think you’re hot, other people will, too." Confidence attracts other confident people, including the top talent. Remember that bids of a feather flock together, and this is your flock. How do others see it? How do others see you?

 

4. Show off your best side

Everyone and every business has a “best side” and that’s what you should showcase. Adi Tatarko of Houzz says, “People really wanted to have something that will allow them to have fun and have a productive and great process.” That’s true of your consumers, and that’s true of looking for your next employee. Nobody wants to join a company where everyone seems bored, burned out, or is staring down the clock, willing 5:00 to appear. For a good time, check out Houzz on Twitter.

 

5. Your company should be your advertisement

Even if you weren’t born when Atari broke onto the scene, you probably know exactly what it is. Nolan Bushnell of Atari says, “Create a company that is really an advertisement,” if you want to catch the eyes of just about everyone—including the top talent. “The kind that tells everyone you’re a creative company.” See what Atari’s up to today, or follow the company on Twitter for entertainment non-stop.

 

6. Understand it’s a learning process for everyone

Every time you hire a new employee, everyone involved is going to be on a learning curve. You can’t expect even the best candidate around to seamlessly mesh into your company from day one. Alex Ljung of Soundcloud says, “You’re going through great moments and challenging moments, and you’re both learning.” A little humility can go a long way, as can empathy. However, nothing trumps a great, ongoing training program. Take a look at what Soundcloud’s up to now on Twitter.

 

7. Fit is as important as experience

There’s a reason there’s been such a push towards hiring right for the company, and not just the “best” candidate. Y Combinator’s Jessica Livingston says, “If you don’t get along for some reason, it’ll somehow break. You’ll break.” However, remember that this goes for everyone who has to work together. You spend most of your waking hours at work or commuting to work, so make sure everyone meshes. See what else Y Combinator’s up to on Twitter right now.

 

8. Give in order to receive

This is true no matter what your industry or business model. However, as a B2B business, EventBrite was in a unique situation from day one. Julia Hartz says, “Tell me everything you need,” is a great foundation for mutual respect, understanding, and delivery. Remember that even the top talent will need a transitional period, just like with any new relationship. Check out what EventBrite has on deck at Twitter.

 

There’s no guarantee you’ll be able to woo the best candidate overall, but that’s okay. The goal should be finding the right talent matches for your company. Take your time, remember what’s really important, and never rush recruitment.