If the time has come to add more talented bodies to your startup, you know this added responsibility comes with many new areas of uncertainty. Where do you go to find the best talent? How much should you pay?
The hiring process comes with many questions and gray areas. Consider the following 6 tips for finding and hiring the best talent for your startup.
Create a Company Culture
In order to attract the best candidates for the position — candidates who share or appreciate your vision and ideology — you must articulate what makes your business tick.
Capture your startup’s values, goals and mantras and put them in writing. An existing company culture will help ensure you hire people who resonate with your vision for the company and conduct themselves accordingly.
Accept Remote Workers
Hiring telecommuting talent is the way of the business world today. If you operate within the restricted confines of your physical location, you are limiting your options for hiring the best talent. Consider asking job candidates the following questions if you’re hiring remote employees or contractors:
- Have you successfully telecommuted before?
- Do you consider yourself a self-starter?
- Are you constantly connected to the Internet during working hours?
- Can you be contacted easily during your working hours?
- Do you already own what you need to do the job well?
- Are you easily distracted?
Offer Competitive Pay and Opportunities
First, you must offer competitive pay if you’re looking for the best talent. Second, it’s important to recognize good talent often appreciates more than financial compensation. On top of paying competitive, above-market wages, the best talent wants to be part of something more than a paycheck.
When interviewing, be sure to inform candidates of the following prospects that come with working for your startup:
- The company culture and overall atmosphere
- The type of jobs/projects she or he will be involved in
- Your leadership style
- The company values and vision
Toss Tradition and Opt for Innovation
In the age of the Internet, traditional business models have faded fast. Innovation is rewarded. And if you’re seeking the top talent to be part of your startup, you’re going to have to offer more than timestamps, bad lighting and overdone business models.
Talented, innovative people are attracted to modern companies created by imaginative, motivating leaders.
Keep in mind that when hiring for specific positions, it may be necessary to hire an individual with proper certification. Although you have a lot of flexibility when hiring for your team, remember to do your research when it comes to professional certifications required to do the job well.
Consider Applicants’ Potential
Past experience is important, but there are other factors that should be on your radar as you skim the talent pool for your startup. For example, if the candidate shows a genuine passionate for your business and the work involved, he or she may be the right fit regardless of past experience.
Look for qualities that show the individual’s values are aligned with the company’s. And make sure the person is interested in growing, improving and gaining valuable experience — not just cashing in on a paycheck.
Have Candidates Complete a Relevant Task
Anyone can sing a good song during an interview. Ask potential candidates to tackle a mock project, work with you for an hour on an existing project, or complete some other related task that is reflective of the job for which you’re hiring. Doing so will prove the candidate’s competencies and provide a snapshot of her or his work ethic.
Good luck as you begin the process of hiring for your startup. Remember to look beyond what’s traditional and opt for hiring talent to accentuate whatever is unique about your business.
Kate Wilson
Kate Wilson is a freelance writer and blogger who focuses on helping others do great work. While her initial career plan may have been writing the next Great American Novel, she finds that improving the dialogue surrounding career development and personal growth makes her just as happy.
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