It is no news that the global economy is not going through the best times and that the job market is equally dismal for applicants, if not worse. It is surprising to see the scores of people that are wasting away time—being unemployed—while they could very well find a place within the Start-up companies that happen to be the next big thing after the dot-com bubble. That’s right! There is more than plenty of fish out there for you to recruit for your start-up program.
However, it’s not always a walk in the park to recruit the candidates that would best serve the interest of your company. There is a lot of thought and effort that goes into the process with the hopeful end of finding your ideal executive or management candidate. Here are a couple of tips that should help you execute your recruitment routine smoothly:
Before anything else, identify the skills set that you are in search of, to best execute the duties and responsibilities of the position you wish to recruit for. Is it a job that requires analytical assessments? Your potential candidate must know their statistical analyses, then.
Looking for someone who can manage your Public Relations and “Brand Image”? Your potential employee is probably a recent graduate from a business school with a specialization in PR/Marketing.
The first and most basic tip to finding the perfect recruit for your requirements is to identify the exact skills set that your company can benefit most from. This would narrow down your search pool and you would not have to go through applications of people with educational and work backgrounds in Art History, if your company specializes in automobile components.
While initiating contact with an applicant or a potential candidate for your company, be very professional. Smaller companies run the risk of not being taken seriously if even the slightest sign of casualty is picked up on. Remember, as a start-up, you do not have the luxury of depending on your brand’s goodwill to attract candidates.
You must at all times maintain a strongly professional but simultaneously welcoming attitude that perhaps says “We know you are a potential asset to us, but so are we to you and your career.”
This kind of attitude expresses confidence in your company and also in the abilities and worth of your potential talent. Every recruit wants to be made to feel special in a way. See to it that you provide just that. After all, you need the candidate as much as they need you.
See: 5 Biggest HR Blunders Start-Ups Should Avoid
As we were saying, the recruitment process is a two-way street. You may have identified what you want in a potential employee but you also have to be mindful of the candidate’s expectations of their potential employer.
Smaller companies and start-up businesses cannot boast of the pay checks that MNCs could offer but you could interest them with other things like the ability to be in direct communication with the head or CEO making it easier to exercise free decision-making.
Bigger companies do not guarantee this privilege and confine the work to a restricted mechanized fashion that you have no choice but to confer to.
When working for a start-up, the employees have the ability to directly discuss working methods and the likes with company leadership. This allows for greater decisive freedom which is what most professionals crave after a few years in the corporate jungle.
Always bear in mind that the candidate is scrutinizing you just as much as you are scrutinising them. The trick then, is to play on your strengths and if you make just the right moves, any insecurity stemming from the fact that your company is a small business compared to Ford or Hewlett-Packard, will be gone in no time.
The sign of a good business man is to know how to assess risks and benefits before investing. Your candidate must absolutely believe that the incentives of working for you far outweigh the possible risks.
It is highly advised that you keep your eyes open for any promising candidates that show the right amount of determination and have displayed their ability to be fit for your company’s needs. Do not make the mistake of turning the candidate away just because they are falling short on required employment time by a few months, or their educational records don’t boast of a 4.0 GPA.
One of the joys of owning a smaller business is the ability to take these things into account. A determined and skilled recruit can prove to be a valuable asset to your team with just the right training.
If you are responsible to recruit for a start-up, be sure to take these steps into consideration before calling in your interviewees for the job.
Also read: Human resources hacks for the bootstrapped start-up
Image credit: social-hire.com
