Last time I talked a lot about offboarding and the value startups can extract from exiting employees.
Now, let's talk about bringing people in!
Many qualified people are hesitant to work for a startup for a variety of reasons:
startups = risky and they aren't in the position to do that with their job
bad experiences at past startups or horror stories from friends
lack of detail or specificity in the job description
fear of doing more than what they were hired to do
unclear measures of success
absolutely no work/life balance
Some of these are out of the startups' control. But most of them can be easily mitigated with clear communication.
The reality for many startups is they don’t have an HR team or even a single internal recruiter. In many cases, they are contracting 1 or 2 recruiters part-time. These people are not in the company, don’t “get the vision”, and simply want to fill the job and move on to the next opening.
Whether your startup has an HR team or not, here’s some tips to keep in mind as you are hiring new employees:
Don't put "rockstar", "ninja", or "guru" anywhere near the job description
I am truly sick of this. Any self-respecting person just does an eye-roll.
You are not motivating. You are not ~hip~. You are cringe.
Actually care about the job description
Don't have your CEO write the job description for a job they have never done and will never do. If you need to hire a writer that specializes in JDs, do it.
SHARE THE SALARY. A ~$15k range is fine
Be as specific as possible in the responsibilities.
Include how the individual will be measured
All of this requires planning. You're not just going to come up with the role, write down a JD, then publish it on linkedin. You need to fully understand the purpose of this role, how it will support the company's goals, and how it will work with other teams. Then, and only then, should you write the job description.
Spend SOME time on your onboarding process
I get that onboarding is not a priority for startups. It shouldn't be the number 1 thing on your list.
But trust me - take an afternoon and put together a simple onboarding deck. This should include company mission, vision, roadmap, org chart, marketing and sales collateral, etc. Most of this should already exist if you've ever pitched to investors. Also, if your start-up is virtual, make sure to schedule time for :get-to-know you” chats.
You can expand it and create role-specific versions as you scale. Your new hire is going to be learning a billion things in the first few weeks, and having a basic deck they can go back to and reference will save a lot of headache for you and them.
Prioritize diversity
Study after study after study shows that diversity drives innovation. So if you're going to use the word "innovative" 42 times on your website, you might as well back it up in your recruiting.
Most early stage startups are using their network to find new hires. And most peoples' networks look exactly like they do. So take the time to network through and utilize diverse job boards.
Attitude is more important than experience
You need people that can show up, roll with the punches, and execute their job well. Don't slow down growth by trying to find that perfect candidate. Get someone who understands the role and truly wants to work in the environment you're offering.
Sidebar, startups are really bad at firing. They don't do it fast enough.
questions for startup applicants
And if you are on the job hunt and are interested in working at a startup, consider these questions:
Is this the first time you are hiring for this role? What have you learned so far about this role and its place in your company?
What is your run rate? churn rate? (Any question around company financials should be asked. If they scoff at telling you, not a great sign. They should have some answer to give you here. You deserve to know the financial stability of the company you're about to work for.)
What is your next big milestone? (Could be a product launch, funding round, headcount, etc.)
Have you made any pivots or big decisions with your product or business strategy? What were they and why?
Can you describe your customer to me? Please provide as much detail as possible.
Of course ask the basics like measures of success, growth path in the role, and how you will be working with the team. These are just a few questions I have heard and asked when working with startups
And remember: not every startup is the same! Just because you heard a horror story from a colleague doesn’t mean you can’t have a successful and happy time working at a startup. Every situation is different and by advocating for yourself and what you want in your next role, you’ll find the perfect fit in no time.
Go get em tiger.