10 hiring tips for startups

Be role specific

Hiring is the most important decision at startup stage. Here are some hiring tips for startups

1. Hire for a specific role and not because you are impressed by the person.

2. Don’t think of the role, write it down along with the skills and experience you’d need the person to have in order to perform well in the role.


Give comprehensive picture of the company


3. Create a clear and interesting script about your company, nature of business, future potential and how that role fits in. Use any recognition, commendation that came your way in the script.

Remember in case of startup jobs, both interviewer and aspirant are evaluating each other. You need to come across as a worthy employer.

4. If you are not sure you can assess abilities, there is no harm asking a known senior or ex-boss to sit through the interview with you.

Learn during the process, he may not come everytime.


Right information

5. Give a clear picture of your current state, strengths and limitations.

Assess the same about the candidate. Right information is key to decision making.

6. Working for startups requires abilities like initiative, selfdiscipline, cost consciousness, multitasking, resourcefulness and risk taking more than subject matter expertise.


Don't be defensive


7. Do not get defensive about your startup status. All big enterprises started out as one. Everyone works for the future; make sure you are able to define bright future loudly.

8. Ask for references and do not limit to two. Take five references, talk to all, get a feel.

Take enough time


9. Hiring is the most important decision at startup stage. Give it your enough time, prepare, read stuff and meet many candidates. Do not delegate hiring.

10. Do not hesitate to headhunt the right guy, no matter how big a company she works for currently. You’ll be surprised how bored good professionals can get working in working big companies.

Your job can give them the freshness they want. Worst she can do is say “no”. There is a high probability that she’ll refer some one else who fits in.

What is a "headhunter" or "recruiter"?

Job Headhunters And Recruiters
What is a "headhunter" or "recruiter"?
A headhunter is actually a professional placement specialist or executive recruiter. What they do is they get a request, typically from a client company, and the company will say, "We're looking for an executive or a professional who can do XYZ. Please help us find this individual." The executive recruiter at that point will either go into their database of candidates and/or they will actually recruit or headhunt at other companies to find the most appropriate individual or individuals they can introduce to their client company, and hopefully get them placed.

How does a headhunter or recruiter get paid?
Typically a headhunting company will be paid by the client company, and that's always the way that you want to go if you're an applicant. So if you are thinking of using an executive recruiter or headhunting firm to help you with your job hunt, be sure to ask them, "Are you employer paid or are you applicant paid?" And the most reputable headhunting firms are going to be company paid.

What are guidelines for working with a headhunter or recruiter?
With job headhunters and recruiters, the most important thing to remember about working with a headhunter is that they are in the business of sales. Headhunters make their money by every placement that they make. Most reputable executive recruiting companies are the ones who have good relationships with high quality client companies and who are looking to recruit top level people. Therefore it's very, very important when you're interviewing with those types of companies to find out what their track record is and what types of companies they typically work with. Do they have areas of specialization that they place? It is very important because obviously if you're in accounting, you don't want to be recruited to be working with an executive recruiting company who places people in the healthcare field. So you must ask recruiters a lot of questions.

What are guidelines for working with a headhunter or recruiter?
A good head-hunter or executive recruiter is going to spend the time to really get to know you and what your needs, goals and objectives are; not just for the short term, but also for your long term career plans. The last thing that an executive recruiter wants to do is place a candidate with the client company (remember that the client company is the one paying the bill) and then have one or both parties be unhappy after a few months. They are really looking for that long term win-win relationship, between the candidate and the client company. So, if you paint a very honest picture for the recruiter you're working with, he or she can then take that picture of you to the client company and that's going to ensure that long term success for you.

How do I find a headhunter?
With job headhunters and recruiters, the best way to find a really good headhunter is through referral. Find some other people who have worked with a headhunter and get the name of the specific recruiter that they have worked with. Additionally, you can also call around to other employment agencies and find out what types of relationships they might have with executive recruiters. Certainly you can go to the internet but you might not always get an honest picture of who this company is going to be, so your best bet is to contact recruiters armed with a lot of questions. And be sure that those recruiters answer your questions to your satisfaction.
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