Startup companies face a multitude of daily tasks that sit outside their core goal of growing their business. In my experience recruitment can be the most painful and the one that finds its way to the bottom of the list. Generally, for a few different reasons. They find it easier to deal with tasks personally as it’s quicker than hiring and training.
Getting good people rapidly isn’t possible. Recruitment takes up valuable time. Finding a good recruiter that offer more solutions than problems is hard to find. For your startup recruitment, here’s 10 tips on how to achieve rapid growth…
What's their background
Take references and do due diligence around their pedigree within the startup market. Lots of recruitment firms want to work in that market but few have real life case studies owning scaled hiring. Ask for examples of other companies or testimonials from other startup clients.
Get answers
Pose questions around the pain points you want your recruiter to alleviate. How are you going to save my business time? How do you unearth the best candidates? What is the time to hire that your business currently operates? How do you manage busy startup stakeholders?
Know your timeline
Map the growth out and prioritise the hiring in a timeline that mirrors your startup’s needs. Creating a chronology chart is helpful to really determine what is needed and when.
Don’t bite off too much
Spend time recruiting 1-2 roles per hiring manager and creating short hiring cycles. This is far more effective than hiring 4+ roles with one manager. With short hiring cycles you get your eye on for the market and a good CV.
Be ruthless with what you need and when you need it by
If a recruiter hasn’t delivered a position in the agreed time, then demand reasons why. It’s better to know the market reasons sooner rather than later to ensure you aren’t spinning around looking for a unicorn. If you need to pay more money, then make that call as early as possible.
Invest time in relevant marketing material
Startup hiring managers are busy, but your recruiter needs to be able to explain why your firm is the best place to work in a crowded market. You should be able to show why your business is different to others in your industry, showcase the culture and benefits.
Your space
This may sound obvious but make sure you have the space for new hires. Hiring lots of people is great but they need somewhere to sit! Ensure your office space is ready and desks are available correlating with hiring forecasts.
Obstacles
Get your recruiter to explain the probable hurdles your business will face before you start the process. Hiring people is time consuming and expensive. So, if you know the icebergs to avoid then it should make for a less bumpy ride!
Move fast
Generate urgency in your process. The number one reason companies fail to secure talent and scale is missing the boat on offering a candidate. If you have identified a good match, then you need to be getting offers accepted in days and not weeks. If you’re interested, someone else will be too!
If you need help hiring for your startup, find out more about our innovative approach!