As your startup grows, it’s natural to start looking for employees who can take some things off your plate.
The issue here is that you’re not a large business. If an employee doesn’t pan out, you can’t get rid of them without impacting your bottom line. In some cases, the simple act of hiring the wrong person can be the death knell to your company.
Not sure how to find the best startup hires for your business? Start by ensuring that your startup employee possesses these five qualities.
1. Enthusiasm
Your priority should be to hire someone who’s excited about what your company is doing. Otherwise, you’re unlikely to get a whole lot out of them.
Again, startups don’t offer the same benefits as big businesses. To make up for that, they need to be able to count on their employees’ enthusiasm. You can get a gauge on that by asking, “Why work for me instead of getting a job at a larger company?”
2. Responsiveness
As more companies focus on remote work, responsiveness becomes a key quality to have. Your employees must be available at any time during their workday. If it takes them hours to get back to you, you’ll likely feel frustrated and helpless.
The fewer employees you have, the more important it is for them to be responsive. Anyone you hire needs to be able to drop everything and deal with unexpected issues.
3. Potential
Many startups focus too much on experience. Though this is a useful metric, it’s not the most important indicator of a hire’s abilities.
If you’re a new startup, it makes more sense to look for potential. Your main goal should be to find someone who can be a key part of your company as it grows. It should be someone with a lot of technical skill and a passion for constant learning.
4. Self-Starting
Having a self-starter on your team is a great thing by itself. Instead of having to micromanage them, you can rely on them to do their job on their own. These employees are also more likely to provide ideas on how your company can prosper.
Many people identify as self-starters, but this is a rare quality to have. Consider hiring a headhunter agency to make your search for self-starters easier.
5. Versatility
Working at a startup company can be chaotic. Depending on your needs, your employee’s tasks may shift dramatically in the blink of an eye.
This is why most startups need people who can adjust on the fly. During your interviews, mention that one of the job requirements is versatility. Find out if the prospective employee is fine with not knowing what their day-to-day tasks will look like.
More on Successful Startup Hires
If you follow these five tips, finding the right person will be much easier. That said, you should still take the time to do proper research. Ideally, you’ll go through several potential candidates before settling on one person.
Want to know more about attracting suitable startup hires? Keep reading our management-related content!
