Recruiting top talent is hard, and even more so if you are a startup. As a young organization with limited financial resources, hiring the wrong talent can potentially harm your organisation. Your future largely depends on your first employees.
Here are a few ways you can attract great talent:
- Determine what makes your startup different: Find something that sets you apart. Maybe the company culture, work-life balance or work-from-home opportunities. Market your organization as a unique opportunity that offers something that the big corporates cannot.
- Build a great mission and vision: You won’t be able to offer big paychecks to your employees in the beginning, but you can still convince top talent to come and work for you by building a mission and vision that excites potential employees. You, as the founder, can share your long-term vision with your potential employees and present your company in the best light.
- Be a great place to work: Be a great place to work and great people will want to work for you. Word of mouth is key as part of your recruitment strategy. Your current employees, if happy, will talk to family and friends and promote your organization. Employees who enjoy their working environment, will work harder and add more value to your company.
- Show your organizations personality and advertise your brand right from the start: Everyone wants to work for a hot, new brand with possible growth opportunities. It’s crucial that you effectively market your company on social media or events and show people what it is like to work for you.
- Hire people with the right attitude: Resilience and an adaptable personality are key when searching for possible employees. Employees that can adapt and mature with your organization through each phase of the growth cycle. It is also necessary to avoid hiring people who may seem difficult to get along with, irrespective of how skilled they are. One bad employee can drive away a lot of great employees.
It is important to remember that your founding team will play a massive role in shaping the future of your organization. Always be strategic about your hiring.