You will not have much of a business without a dedicated, strong team. However, the process of hiring may be challenging, from sourcing candidates, to interviewing and screening them to make the final assessments.
Startup founders might have knowledge of how to run their company, and they potentially have an excellent idea about what will make a great product, yet many do not know what makes an exceptional hire. Oftentimes, new CEOs have misconceptions in regard to hiring, both when it comes to what candidates are looking for and when it comes to what type of team member the business needs. As there are exceptions to each rule, we oftentimes see 5 typical mistakes in the hiring process. Here are 5 tips for CEOs on how to best avoid them.
Do not See Candidates as Commodities
New leaders may have a tendency to see candidates as commodities instead of individuals, and they treat the hiring process as a transactional process when it ought to be all about building relationships. The truth is, you must earn the right to vet and you have to be very hands-on in the front end of this process. There is a large amount of effort needed when the time comes to recruit "branded" candidates who’ve worked for the likes of Amazon and Google. Bear in mind that individuals who have a high-profile experience are not going to flock to you merely because you raised a large round. Everybody else is after those candidates too; therefore, you must convince them that you're a "new and different," thing, and that you your business is what they really want to do.
Time is Valuable
There may often be a lack of understanding in the trade-offs which come with going after the subset of worthy candidates that everybody else additionally wants, and a big trade-off may include time. Time kills and it is the sole thing you cannot get back. A smaller view of what comprises the relevant candidate pool may lead to wasted time. Or worse: bad hires. Either of these things can be fatal to any start-up. Keep in mind to always balance compensation, time invested, and eventual cultural fit.
Always Be Thinking Ahead
It is vital that you recognize that what you are now isn’t necessarily what you’ll become as a business. As with software, startups include version one of what they’ll be, version two, and so on. Go to events, ask around, and hear the market (and the ones living in it) to gain a truthful appraisal of the brand and its future. It will assist you in making the proper hire–and fast. Additionally, as you hire, you must consider your needs 2 - 3 years in the future. Imagining things in a holistic way ensures that you wind up with staff members who successfully work together.
Let your Imagination Soar
Most first-time leaders possess a lack of imagination surrounding the best potential hire. As it will come down to it, branded candidates might not be the ideal match for your business. Consider that most of those individuals bring a static method of doing things, which generally isn’t what your startup needs. Think outside of the box and be creative on the kind of individual who could match a certain position. A few of the best hires at businesses such as Twitter, Uber, and LinkedIn came from backgrounds that weren’t obvious.
Being able to look past the likely candidates may assist you in really hiring the rockstars of tomorrow and make a drastic impact on your organization. Keep in mind, your objective must be to make the ideal hire, not accomplish the largest Techcrunch news release–the latter will be fleeting, but the former may assist in leading to the success of your startup.
Enlist assistance in hiring
Even the wisest business individuals know they cannot do everything themselves. Employing a team includes a skill which is developed with practice. Therefore, if you are running a hungry and young start-up and you are desperate to locate that special person who is able to take your company to the next level, you might require outside counsel.
Challenge new employees to make a true impact inside the company, but do not deliberately bombard them to try and witness their response under pressure. When you can, make new hires feel like family, provide them what’s needed for their success, take away any obvious barriers you can detect, and offer resources and knowledge so that your new hire can be a success.