The 5 Biggest Mistakes Start-Ups Make When Hiring
Hiring is one of the most important parts of setting up a business and, simultaneously, the source of the biggest mistakes. Recruitment is quite a demanding task to complete, but with the recent boosts in technology, it has become easier and more efficient. Mistakes, however, still occur and the best way to avoid these is to get familiarized with some of the most common ones. We’ve analyzed five, to get you going.
Going Only with Type A and Star Performers
Going with the best of the best is always recommended when hiring employees, but being exclusive in this department might not be the best idea. Although alphas truly are the crème of performers, if you choose to hire only these experts, not only will you have to offer huge salaries, but you’ll also end up with an office overflowing with ego. Naturally, star performers are extremely confident (for a reason) but, what this means is that they’re going to be pretty sure that they are always right. A variety of adequate choices exist when it comes to ideas and issues, but an alpha will always be sure that they- and only they – are right. Another downside to hiring only the business rock stars is that they won’t be too keen on getting their hands dirty, and you really need someone who will do literally anything work-related for you.
Rushing the Whole Thing
We know, the whole point of a start-up is getting things going quickly. However, an entrepreneur should never rush the recruitment process. Applying the fail-fast technique to the hiring process is never a good idea. Approach finding candidates diligently and slowly. The task of getting a start-up going would be extremely difficult if modern technology did not exist – to be more precise, employee management software, an innovation that has made the lives of HR staff significantly easier. With the help that HR software provides, you’ll be able to take your time while recruiting.
[Tweet “5 mistakes you must avoid when #hiring for your #startup.”]Disregarding Your Instinct
Although CVs and cover letters make the whole recruitment process much simpler, the references and all the displayed information cannot tell the entire story of an individual. This is why interviews are still being practiced. Prepare your interviews carefully and stick to the whole plan, no matter what, and always pay attention to what your instincts are telling you. You do not want to miss out on hiring a perfect fit for your business on account of trivialities such as their lack of references. Another way to supply your instinct with enough information is using big data, a technological innovation that has made the work of the HR staff easier and more efficient in many ways.
Not Having a Comprehensive Job Description
Although job descriptions are aimed at your potential future employees, if they are well-thought out and comprehensive, they can serve as your own guide in terms of your requirements for the target position. In this way, you will be able to evaluate your candidates more accurately and efficiently. A quality job description includes the complete list of responsibilities, skill stack, personality traits, required qualifications and other capabilities that the position requires.
Refraining from Letting People Go
Being afraid to fire an employee if they do not perform well is one of the worst mistakes you can make as a businessperson. Although firing might be awkward and inconvenient, keep in mind that this never was meant to be pleasant in the first place. Letting someone go is a necessary evil, a difficult step that needs to be taken in order to boost the productivity of a company. Start-ups simply aren’t big enough to carry dead weight – the budget of a start-up is, by definition, just about enough to get things going. Bear in mind that delaying the inevitable will only cost your business productivity, morale, as well as finances – firing the workers that are not adequate is bound to happen sooner or later so, do not wait on account of false indecisiveness.
Make sure that you follow this advice in order to properly recruit your start-up staff. Make sure that you follow your instinct, take things slowly, choose staff beyond only the A-listers, and don’t be afraid of letting the redundant employees go.
Marcus Jensen is an IT professional. He is an Editor-in-Chief of technivorz.com and writes about start-ups, business, and technology.