When you set up your company, you are the developer, marketer, HR manager, finance director and CEO. To go the distance, you need to surround yourself with the top talent in
your industry and create a team that feels like a family. Not to turn
up the pressure but this is not a task to take lightly. The plus side is
the opportunity to hand pick your team from scratch
Here are my top seven tips for building your ideal workforce:
1. Hire people who are better than you. You may have
experience in many different fields but you aren’t an expert in
everything. You need a team of people tops in their field, whether its
development, sales or marketing. Talent attracts talent, so this will bring in other great people to your business.
2. Build a team of peers. At Huddle, when we hire a
new member of the development team, for example, we include an
interview with other members of the team as well. As you have your team
in place, involve them in who is hired. This foster a sense of family
within the company that leads to a more productive business.
3. Be open with your team. To keep everyone on the
same page, working toward the same goals make clear your company targets
and roadmaps. Have regular, companywide meetings so people see what
different teams are working on and how the company is developing.
Encourage staff to test your product or service and give feedback.
4. Would you want to work in your office? To attract
top candidates, you need to create a work environment of great people
and great surroundings. That keeps staff happily motivated to put in the
hours to get the job done.
Small things can make a big difference. Organize regular social
outings, even if it’s just lunch. Get a good coffee machine, a games
console and have break-out areas where staff can socialize.
5. When to say no. It’s hard to find the perfect
person for a job but you need good people you can imagine working with
every day. If your gut tells you that you could not enjoy lunch with
someone, just say no to hiring them.
There’s no point hiring someone you suspect you will want to say
goodbye to in a couple of months. You’re better off waiting for a better
fit.
6. Spread your net wide. Finding your perfect team can be hard because you don't know where they’re hiding. Recommendations
are invaluable, so speak to family and friends. Get to networking events
to meet people in your industry. Post job details on Twitter and
Linkedin, use TechCrunch jobs, Monster and any other job boards. Spread
the message far and wide.
7. Be firm with recruitment agencies. Create a
preferred supplier list. It’s impossible to manage every single inbound
inquiry otherwise. Be very clear what you are looking for. Demand to see
only the best CVs. To make sure recruitment agencies don’t walk all
over you, set a fixed rate (around 15 per cent) from the start.
Your hard work will pay dividends for years when you have the people you need helping build your company.
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