In the early stages of building a startup, your staff is everything. They are responsible for your output, set the company culture and can be the missing ingredient needed to take your business from fledgling to fully funded. Angel investors will often tell you that they are just as interested in the people as they are the idea.
When the time comes for hiring, finding the right people for your startup is essential for success. How do you go about finding people who hold similar values and are excited about your plans, but will also bring new ideas to accelerate your startup?
Be clear about what you are looking for in a staff member
If you’re serious about expanding your company, you need to be extremely clear about what you are looking for in a staff member. Those looking for exciting new opportunities may be put off by a vague job description, so make sure you take some time to fine tune your requirements. This doesn’t mean you can’t be flexible in your approach to hiring. You may find someone in your search that changes your expectations and helps you to refine your job description.
Passive recruitment is just as important
Having a recruitment process that is always open will help you to gather information about interested parties and poach top talent when the time comes to expand. Build a career portal for your website where interested parties can register their interest, even if you don’t have any openings.
Also on StartupNation.com: 6 Tips for Maintaining Positive Employee Engagement
Take your search international
Many people will consider relocating for the right opportunity, so don’t discount international applicants. Although this route will often involve additional costs associated with asking for assistance from an immigration service, these will often be shadowed by the benefits. If your country is facing a skills shortage, sometimes taking your search international is the only choice to help you find the right skill set.
Think outside the salary box
As more people look for a healthy work-life balance from their employer, the days of a basic salary being enough to tempt top talent are pretty much over. Job seekers will look for a competitive package of benefits that could include training, flexible working, travel opportunities, childcare vouchers or even just free meals in the office. If your staff finishes early on a Friday or has breakfast together every day, you should make sure potential employees are aware of these important perks.
