This one’s for all the startup founders feeling elated yet overwhelmed at the rapid growth of their new business. Let us start by saying: it’s okay to feel anxious about your company’s sudden takeoff, regardless of how long you’ve been dreaming of this day. Chances are, you started with only a few key employees and you’re quickly finding that the current staff is overwhelmed at the volume of business. We’re here to help you hire top talent, fast, so that you can go back to enjoying your success.
Beautify Your Company
No, not physically. Well, maybe physically. If your business isn’t attracting quality candidates, there’s probably a reason for that. It is part of our human nature to be drawn towards the things we find attractive, so if you’ve been increasing visibility as part of your hiring process, make sure you’re doing marketing right. Work with graphic designers to figure out what your target audience might be drawn towards. Write a kickass blurb. Marketing is your best friend, so in order to hire a lot more people quickly, it might be best to take your time hiring that one special person who will be in charge of presenting your brand.
Network Makes the Dream Work
You’ve probably already been told this, and you probably already knew this before you were told, but make sure you’re getting the word out there. Speak about your business with your community and ask them if they know anyone who might be interested. Post on LinkedIn and ask your network to tag any friends or colleagues whom they think might be interested. Go to networking events for the specific industry you’re working in. Word of mouth works, and it works fast. The best thing about this is that as a startup founder, you will inevitably be hiring again, and probably soon. So the bigger your network is, the better. Even when you think you’re done hiring, keep focusing on building your network.
Don’t Just Sell the Job, Sell the Business
Your new employees won’t just be filling in singular positions, they’ll be becoming part of a close-knit team. They’ll need to love the ethos behind what you do, the company culture, and the business’s potential. What makes the difference between opting for a large corporation and an up and coming startup can sometimes be the simplest of things, like the fact that the entire office is friends or that the company is making a true difference in the world. So make sure you’re not just selling the job but the startup as a whole.
Boss with Benefits
Make sure the benefits you are willing to offer are as good as they come. Cover the basics and more. There is a reason the Google offices are famously chill and full of free stuff. Because Google wants to hire the best of the best. And when the best of the best is stuck between two jobs with similar pays, similar leave, and similar health plans, they go for the option that has the happy hour, the flexible work hours, the gym membership, and the option to work remotely from another country. And while we’re on the topic of travel: always make sure you are offering good pay. It might not be Facebook level, but it should be more than enough. In conclusion: there are infinite studies assessing how employee happiness = productivity levels, so it’s best to get on that train while still in the hiring process.
Be Punchin’
We all know someone who took a leap in the dark and applied for a job they were underqualified for, only to get it the next day. The same thing can happen the other way around as well. Try to think of your must-haves and your would-be-good-to-haves, and then try to recruit people who have both and more. If you’re doing it right (with your company atmosphere, ethos, benefits, etc.) there is no reason you shouldn’t attract overqualified people who genuinely want to be part of your team.
Get Some Artificial Help
When hiring talent, softwares can be your best friend. As the proud founder of a growing startup, you probably don’t have enough time to go through every application one by one. You probably only want to meet with people who have already passed several rounds of qualification checks. This is where an ATS (applicant tracking system) can come in handy. And the best news is, we can help you set one up.
Ask all the Right Questions
Asking the right questions is the only way to know whether someone is the right fit for your business. So make sure you take your time deciding on application criteria, from education levels to previous experience to languages spoken. This, of course, is just the automated bit. When the time comes and you finally meet with your potential candidates face to face, it is even more difficult and yet even more crucial to know what to say. You are meeting with these candidates because they’ve passed their tests with flying colours. They are all qualified. So knowing what to ask at this final stage is a key component of knowing who will make the right fit. Think of some set questions beforehand, but also give yourself permission to go off script.
Write the Right Description
The only way to get the perfect fit is to have talent know exactly what they are applying for. With the right job description you can attract the right people, and with the right people you can grow your business even more.
Lucky for you, we also have a detailed post on how to write the best job description!