When you are starting a new business, there are many places and many times that you will need to cut the fat. There are other times, that you will want to make sure that you have exactly what you need. One of these areas of greatest need is to have outstanding employees. Sometimes, good employees have universal characteristics. This means that no matter where this employee works, they will do a great job. To find someone like this is a fantastic deal in any business.
In the startup world there are some key characteristics of a great employee that are more important than in any other kind of business.
Mission Driven
The most obvious trait for a startup company employee is that they are very aware of the company mission and are focused on this mission every time they punch the time card. These are not employees that have a nine to five attitude. They look for ways to do extra help and work for the company. These employees want their work to directly affect the bottom line and profitibility of "their" company. This person feels personal about the company and the business success. They take ownership in the company and treat each customer and client like they are personally responsible for their happiness.
A great quality for a startup company employee is that they will not be there only for the "perks" of the job. They are not there only for parties or to be able to charge lunches to the company credit card. They are there because they want to be a part of something big, successful, and growing, where they are surrounded by people that they enjoy learning from and learning with.
Self Motivated
As you are look for an employee, look for people who work on their own constant success. What this means, is that the people you want working for you want to succeed with what they bring to the table, rather than who they know or what they think they can squeeze out of management. Look for people that take pride in their own work and yet want to help make each other look good too.
Willing to Sacrifice
Fantastic startup employees are not there only for the money. This may sound like a very bold statement at first, but in context, it makes sense. Of course, money is the key to many of our personal problems, but it is not the end-all solution. This should be the same for your employees. They should want to sacrifice to see the company thrive in the future. If this means making 10 percent less than they could be making elsewhere, they understand that in working for a startup they are planning for long term success. You find this employee and you have an employee that "gets it."
A Doer
The last quality that nearly every great startup employee has is that of being a doer and not a taker and talker. There are many hours and amounts of expertise that you pour into developing a business plan. You do not need to have employees that can sit all day and pow wow on how to get the job done that you have already mapped out. At times, your business plan will change rapidly simply because of the nature of real life and real life business problems that inevitably come up. Get employees that are able to get on the grind with you and who will love doing the job at hand for the company, just like you do.