10 Tips For Hiring As A Startup

Hiring new employees for your startup is a huge step, not only will you now be responsible for someone else’s career, but it also shows that your company is going in the right direction. Things are going to start to move fast so we’ve put together ten top tips for hiring as a startup to help you take the next step in your business journey.

“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” – Steve Jobs

Here are 10 tips if you are hiring as a startup

How to hire the best person for your Startup?

1. Hire when you know you need someone

The sooner you know you need to hire someone and can afford them the better. Adding an extra person will bring in an extra creative mind who can help share the legwork. Your to-do list will shrink so you can focus on finding the best resources for your business. Don’t overwork yourself to cut costs, if you need an extra staff member, take the steps to hire them.

2. Hire for potential, not just what’s on their CV

A good trait to develop is the ability to see the potential in a candidate, not just their evidence of past successes. Look for someone who has a strong passion or interest for a cause that is similar to yours and evidence that the person is really good at what he or she has done before, even if this is not directly relatable.

3. Have candidates demonstrate their skill

Many of your candidates will know how to answer interview questions in a way that will tick all the boxes. Research shows the best way to vet someone is to have them complete a task for you and see how they fare. An example would be if you are hiring a content writer, you would then ask them to write an article aimed at your target audience, you will give them a word count and also ask for a social media draft for each of the platforms you use.

This way you will be able to compare your candidates based directly on their skills.

4. Diversify your team

There’s no point in having a workforce who think exactly like you, this will only stunt your growth. Instead, consider creating a team from different backgrounds who will each bring their own perspective to their roles. Your aim is to get a variety of ideas so that you can choose the best direction for your startup to go in.

5. Cast a wide net

You needn’t limit your search to the boundaries of your region or city. If you’re limiting your search to a 50 mile radius of your startup you should think twice. There may be a talented potential candidate who is willing to relocate for a job in your company and you may benefit from their talented approach to your industry.

When you expand your search you may even find a candidate who is looking to relocate to your region and who is perfectly qualified and keen to fulfill their role. By working hard to recruit and retain the right employees you’ll build a team that continues your business in the right direction, so allow yourself plenty of time to put that team together.

6. Invite them to be part of the team not just an employee

You can either consider your new staff member an employee or a team member. The latter is the reason most young, aspiring creatives join startups in the first place. Startups are a breath of fresh air compared to their corporate rivals. With team lunches, team building exercises, dog-friendly offices, all of these things can help your new employees feel as if they were always part of the furniture.

7. Have your contracts ready to go

As a startup prioritising HR documents can come later, however not having a contract in place doesn’t protect you. The unfortunate fact is that not all employees will work out and the last thing you need is any form of legal headache. Take your time to things the right way and you’ll make sure your employee is in it for the long-term.

8. Offer benefits

To make sure that the best talent out there wants to work with you should offer real benefits to your workforce. Budget-friendly options like doughnuts on a Wednesday, free beer on a Friday, a cycle to work scheme or discount on office technology or gym membership are all ways that you can help attract and keep your employees.

9. Consider a referral program

Before casting the net out, why not offer an in-house referral program with your current employees? There could be rewards and initiatives for employees who help refer someone who fits into your company’s vision, if they do, their talented friends might also!

10. Keep it up

You’re a new startup who is looking to hire someone, that is a great step and shows your business is going places and needs grow. Once you’ve attracted and hired a new employee to keep up the good work. Put the expectations of your team first and keep them happy and motivated so that your startup can go from strength to strength.

Written by Stuart Cooke, Digital Marketing Manager at NI Parcels and Irish Parcels, courier comparison services helping startups cut their delivery costs.