Having a good knowledge of how to hire the right employees for your startup is essential. For most startups, however, finding the right employees is easier said than done.
Although most founders might be chomping at the bit to find more talent for their startup, it’s important not to rush through the process. This is because vetting your candidates thoroughly without hurrying the process is key to hiring the right candidate.
Furthermore, you need to ensure that the people you hire will depend on the business’s specific needs. Consequently, they should possess key qualities such as passion, trustworthiness, and flexibility. It is important to hire talents that are flexible enough to take on diverse responsibilities especially since the business is new. Also, hiring people you can trust and are well-suited to the company’s culture is vital.
However, as stated earlier, it’s easier said than done. There are things you should do to get better at hiring. Companies that carry out these steps tend to hire the right employee for their business.
Make the job look attractive
Whether you advertise or not, you should be able to market your company and the job position to candidates. To achieve this, you need to repackage the description of the requirements and responsibilities of the job. Begin by detailing why your company is a great fit and why working for you would be a great move. Also, since you’re just starting, you should be thoughtful and minimalist about the skills and experience in your job description. This is because setting the bar too high (e.g. seeking a front end developer with over eight years experience) as a startup tends to reduce your available pool of candidates.
Hire for potential
The ability to see potential and not just evidence of past success is one key trait of a skilled hiring manager. Thus, you need to hire someone with a strong interest and passion for a goal or task similar to yours. You should also look for evidence about how good the person was in his/her previous jobs (even if it’s a variety of different things).
Unleashing potential is simply connecting someone’s skills and passion. So even if someone hasn’t found a way to unleash themselves, the job will help them achieve it, thus propelling your business for success.
Structure your hiring process
You need to structure your hiring process to show the different stages candidates would go through and the criteria you’ll use to decide.
Also, instead of asking for a general cover letter, it’s advisable to ask your candidates to complete a structured form with specific questions related to the skills you seek.
Have applicants demonstrate their skill
Nowadays, people are becoming more adept at answering interview questions in a way that instills confidence in the hiring manager. However, that doesn’t mean they’re well skilled and qualified for the job. Hence, make sure you vet the applicants by making them complete a task to demonstrate their skill.
Hire an internal recruiter where appropriate
No doubt having someone accountable for hiring the right candidates in your company is essential. As a result, many companies believe it makes sense to hire an internal recruiter (i.e. a temporary hire or a contractor) to do these tasks. For instance, if you plan to hire several people in the next few months, the cost of hiring an internal recruiter would be worth it because it ensures faster recruiting and better-quality people in your company.
There you have it. The key steps in hiring the right employee for your startup. Although some of these steps may seem daunting and probably expensive, they will certainly help your startup in the long run. Also, when you imagine the stress and what it would cost to hire and train the wrong people, then a well-planned hiring process is suddenly looking like a bargain.
