Let’s admit it – startup hiring is tricky, time consuming and not exactly fun. Many of us find it as a huge distraction from the other “more exciting” activities we do at startups. So we tend to keep delaying hiring until it becomes a crying need. And when that happens, we force ourselves to repeat the age-old hiring drill – Put together a Job Description > Post on job portals and social media > Shortlist & Interview > (Hopefully) Hire
Sadly, this process doesn’t work well for start-ups
We all know it but often forget – startup hiring is not about getting the most skilled guy for the least cost.
Startup #hiring is not about getting the most skilled person at the least cost. It's about finding those who "fit in".
— CutShort (@CutshortHQ) December 24, 2015
It’s just about finding some smart people who “get” what you’re doing and want to grow along with your startup. Determining this fit takes time, which is exactly what you don’t have when you’re desperate to hire.
Startup hiring hack: Engagement first, hiring later
At CutShort, we have had a vantage point of seeing how different startups hire. The ones that have got “hiring” right are the ones who are always eager to meet smart people, without any expectation of hiring them in the short term. They source these people from their network, meetups or platforms such as CutShort and LinkedIn.
The important point is – they are simply looking to converse, bouncing ideas off them and finding ways in which they can help each other. Hiring is more like a happy coincidence, not the end goal.
Be on the lookout for smart people to bounce ideas off them. Treat #hiring as a happy coincidence not a fixed end goal. #startuphiringhack
— CutShort (@CutshortHQ) December 24, 2015
As a startup, we have been trying this philosophy and are decently happy with the results. We have hired some really smart people with this approach and have also got a growing number of people who give us feedback, test our products, spread word of mouth and will likely be considering us as their preferred workplace in future.
Have you tried this #startuphiringhack? What do you think of it?
Have a #hiring hack of your own? Comment below – we will convert that to a blog post and credit you for sharing it.
