Tips for Startups to Hire Great Team Members

As your startup grows, so will your need for extra help. When it comes to hiring great employees, there are a few things you should know about attracting and retaining great talent.

Offer Competitive Compensation

It can be hard for cash-strapped startups to offer competitive compensation, but that’s sometimes what it takes to attract talent that will help you increase your bottom line. While salary is important to many employees, it is not the only important aspect. You should also consider offering a competitive benefits package that will be attractive to potential employees. And extra perks, such as more paid time off or gym memberships, are also things potential employees will take into account when deciding where to work. These things still cost money, however, so you might find yourself needing to put more money into your business. One way of doing that is to refinance student loans to free up cash for your organization. That way, you will be able to afford the talent you find.

Understand the Impact of One Hire

When you are visualizing your startup, you don’t have to find a whole team right away. Instead, look for individuals who want to be part of your mission and who have a positive attitude. It takes time to find these people, so be patient. Still, you will want to make sure you aren’t taking too long in the decision-making process once you have candidates, as that could cause some of them to have moved on already. If you have a small team with just a few employees, taking on the wrong person can negatively affect overall team morale. Get to know the candidate by interviewing them more than once, having them do some sample work, and checking out their references.

Giving Take-Home Work Samples

If you have enough people to help with hiring needs, you may be able to have candidates take work home so you can see what their work style is like. Have multiple people speak with candidates you are considering so you can determine if the individual is qualified to do the job. Take-home work might be a work sample, a personality test, or another piece of work that will help you get to know them better. You might send a link to a portion of your website and ask them how they would improve it. Or you may ask them to show their design skills through a graphic design project. If a candidate does the project well, you will know they are dedicated to the work and seeing the company succeed. On the other hand, make sure you don’t scare good candidates away by making them fulfill too many requirements before getting the job.

Consider Your Own Company for Candidates

If you’re looking to hire for a leadership position, don’t be afraid to promote someone already on your team. That way, you already know the employee’s performance instead of adding an unknown. This will take some time, but if you can see someone adds value to the organiza