Founders need talent that they can trust. Here are six things that founders should consider when looking for talent to fill tech jobs.
Versatility
The beauty of a startup or small organization is that it’s exciting, fast-paced and high-pressure, so when the heat is on, everyone pitches in to get the job done. When you’re hiring into a small tech team, you might not have the luxury of having multiple teams or members of staff, which means that staff may need to step outside of their defined roles to support others and resolve problems.
Rather than looking for someone with, for example, outstanding coding skills and experience, look for individuals with a whole range of skills to the table: a web designer who can write copy, a Java developer who understands design principles, or a data scientist who can jump into customer support if needed. You might not find someone who can do just about anything, but you can find a coder who is comfortable dealing with customer enquiries and will help your business to scale quickly while maintaining agility.
Look beyond the tech skills for candidates who are proven problem-solvers and quick learners. A versatile team will help your startup to stay flexible and responsive as it evolves.
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Be Ambidextrous
In the business world, ambidexterity means being able to balance the tension between what needs to be done today and future potential. It’s the push-pull between exploitative innovation—seeing how far you can take what you’re doing now—and explorative innovation—discovering new products and markets.
Tech founders who lose sight of their big dreams are likely to lose direction, but those who focus on the bigger picture without making sure that they build a sustainable organization are also doomed to failure. You need to hire talent that can do the job you want them to do today with minimal development. But you’re also looking for potential: individuals who understand where you're going and whom you feel confident can develop as your organization evolves.
Ask yourself: “Could this person do the job I need them to do now?” “Could they take on more responsibilities as the company scales?” “Will they be able to adapt as processes and priorities change?” “Do they have leadership potential, or will they need regular supervision?”
Hiring promising talent and investing in their growth is a great long-term strategy, but it needs to be balanced with hiring people who can hit the ground running and deliver results now. Strike the balance between raw talent and safe hands.
Culture Counts
In a startup, culture is more than a buzzword - it’s the glue that holds a team together, motivating everyone when things get tough and uniting individuals to achieve something great.
As a founder, you need to look beyond personalities. As tempting as it might be to surround yourself with people who “get” you or will “fit right in” at after-work happy hours, the priority should be skills and a deep belief in the company’s mission. This alignment with purpose goes beyond personalities and brings energy, creativity, and resilience.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that hiring for culture means hiring people who are similar to you. Look beyond the exterior for passion and commitment to your mission, and excitement about the journey ahead.
Be Comfortable With Uncertainty
Discomfort comes hand in hand with victory: leaders who are comfortable are almost certainly not achieving their full potential or driving success. Start-ups are exciting, fast-paced and rewarding, but they’re also uncertain and often uncomfortable.
Look at candidates and consider why they are applying for the role. Are they between jobs and desperately looking for something? Or have they received a generous severance package and have the luxury of taking on a passion project?
You don’t want to risk hiring someone who might be using this as a stop-gap before they find a more secure position with a bigger, more established organization. Just as passion for what you’re trying to achieve is vital, commitment to the organization is critical for startups, where there is nowhere to hide.
Staff who are uncomfortable or anxious about the future are unlikely to give their all to their job, which could impact performance and put your growth ambitions at risk. Of course, you have a part to play in this. Be honest about what’s at stake, but also be clear about the vision, your commitment to achieving it, and the potential rewards for all members of the team when you get there.
Look for talent that understands the uncertainty of working with a start-up and embraces it, someone who thrives in ambiguity, relishes the challenge and acknowledges the risks associated with the role, as well as the huge potential rewards.
Consider Flexibility to Attract Top Talent.
During 2020 and 2021, we saw a surge in people working flexibly and remotely. Recent years have seen a sway back the other way, with many organizations implementing return-to-office strategies.
As a founder, it’s your job to set the tone for how and when your team works. Team time is essential, especially for creating cohesion within a small team, but by being more flexible in terms of when, where and how your team members work, you may be able to attract candidates that generally would not be interested in the role, but are prioritizing a hybrid or remote work environment. For some candidates, flexibility will be more highly valued than pay, meaning that flexibility is something you can offer to help you compete with bigger organizations for the best talent.
Think carefully about your working model: you might not need the whole team in the office all the time, but team members working across different time zones could impact productivity. Determine what works for you and your organization, and utilize it to foster a culture of work-life balance and staff care, attracting top candidates from afar who are at the pinnacle of their field.
Hire People Better Than You
A good leader surrounds themselves with people who are competent. A great leader makes sure the people around them are better than they are. Don’t be intimidated by the talent of others. See it as a gift that, with your careful nurturing, can help your team members to reach their full potential, both collectively and individually, and which will also help you to bring your company to the next level.
Of course, you don’t necessarily want an employee who’s going to argue with you constantly. You do want someone who might interrogate decisions, or stretch solutions to look for possible issues. People on your team who do so will ensure the services or products that you bring to market are robust, will help build brand reputation and extend business opportunities.
Apply self-reflection during recruitment. If you feel insecure or instinctively dislike someone for their opinions, check in with yourself and see if what they have to offer is actually exactly what you need.
There aren’t many things more personal than hiring for your small business. You’re entrusting someone with something that you’ve likely worked incredibly hard for, so it’s a big leap of faith. By making sure that you look beyond the person to the talent, values and work ethic, you’ll be able to bring a strong team around you that will help your business to thrive.
When it comes to recruiting, few things can substitute for knowledge and experience. If you want support finding the best talent for your business, get in touch to see how Motion Recruitment can help.
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