Starting a new enterprise can be both exciting and draining - emotionally and physically. You have to be everything and at everywhere. You play all roles. Even those you are not good at. It's your dream, and youvdint expect another person to bring it to life but you. The thing is, you can't be multi-tasking and still function effectively with the services your outfit sets to offer. You just have yo employ extra hands to take some burdens off your shoulder. And getting the right people to pass and manage the torch of your corporate culture is important. That is why your first hire is just as important as your getting your first client.

Convincing the right and qualified candidates can be a bit tricky for early startups too, bearing in mind that the suitably qualified personnel would more readily want to identify with a known or established industry brand. It makes one assume that those who apply to startups are not really competitive enough, knowing they would be earning less than their counterparts. However, for a leader of a startup, there are still a number of ways to corner capable hands to your startup.

Know why you are hiring
As the leader of a startup, you need new hires in virtually all positions, but you can't just go about letting huge wage bills weigh your new enterprise down. You have to prioritize the positions. You'll be needing your first hires to multi-task as much as you probably are doing at the moment. It should be part of the negotiations. The right candidate should be able to see the company as a startup and not an established company. Hiring specific professionals would largely depend on where your startup is located on the
growth curve. The leader should be able to detect why and the right moment to 'risk' hiring.

Delegate the process
If you don't have the luxury of time to start multi-tasking, just like most startups, you should delegate the first stage of the hiring process to some qualified hands to help you prune down the workload of entries that may come your way. Consult friends who have hired for specific roles ( marketing, sales, engineering or administrative ) to learn where to source the best candidates, how to effectively review resumes, better questions to ask and ways to determine the final selections. And if an ad-hoc team is on ground already, have them meet and interview potential hires to ensure that everyone feels comfortable and agrees on the best fit.You don't want to neglect the very reason why you are hiring to something others can do for you, while you devote more time to the core services your enterprise sets out to do.

Due diligence
The assumption is that the list has been pruned down with the help of others, now you are faced with the shortlisted candidates. This part can't be delegated they are your prospective team members. Get to know them, have them relate with you. Listen to them, away from the things put down in their résumés. Know if they have transferrable skills for the position you are hiring for. Be careful to observe things important to them and respond to them. If you miss it, you start with the wrong foot. Hiring the wrong person for your team can be worse than not having anyone at all.

Relate with the candidates
Interact with the candidates. Sell the brand, vision and mission to them, see how much they buy it. For small teams, every new employee has a profound effect on team culture and norms. They will market your brand beyond your imaginations, even if not successful in the interview process. Let them demonstrate their potentials and not credentials. Test their abilities.

Table realistic remunerations
As a startup, never make the mistake of being a crowd pleaser. In a bid to retain a candidate, never make promises you can't fulfill, especially when it concerns remunerations and other work conditions. Make sure you convey a holistic offer, meaning that you reinforce the cultural aspects as well as the monetary ones. Things like flexible work schedules, a social culture (frequent events for staff to connect as people, not just as colleagues), or even a shorter commute may be very attractive to some people. Be clear about what you can offer, and let the candidates decide.

Dont assume, retrain
Happy that the preferred candidate(s) had been selected? you don't just dust your shoulder and expect the new member of the team to carry on without trainings or supervisions. In real fact, they need real hands-on experience on the peculiarities of your outfit. Trim them to your shape and taste. Trainings may not be as elaborate as that of established firms. A little supervision, a memo on the notice board or a little guide would do.

Get your legal documents handy
Seal up the deal in black and white! Get the details of the contract on paper. It is the evidence of acceptance of your offer. And when you’re laser-focused on revenue and market development, the last thing you need is a legal headache. Knowing that everyone is officially taken care of means that you can focus on what matters most.

Getting focused on the work at hand for the leader of a startup is a very difficult thing. Many aspects of the build up might actually be a distraction to the real services offered by the firm. Why not delegate the process of hiring, so the process don't weigh in on the quality of services offered? It is proper also to know how to balance the priorities.

Source:
https://founders.com.ng/2017/07/15/hiring-first-team-members/

Cc: Lalasticlala , Mynd44

What if you just can't afford the ones that are actually qualified?

Its a tough work tho

Thank you

Noted...handy

Trusting on God to be an employer of labour

mikool007:
What if you just can't afford the ones that are actually qualified?

it shouldn't be just about the pay at the end, but about the total benefit.
Except it will be on a profit sharing basis, it's very unwise to employ pure professionals with years on the job in a start-up, get few professional hands, depending on the size of your potential workforce, if you are seeking for about 10 or less, 1core professional+You is enough, such professional should be able to earn his pay by retraining others on the job.
In six months, 3 of those 8 remaining should be able to hand critical issues without consulting you or the professional.

Agreed

They won't comment here when its not husspuppi

The most effective and efficient means to be at the top of your game as a start-up is to reduce your dependence, at the bare-minimum, on the in-house personnel in particular and hiring at large. Learn how to outsource. . . . The advantage of this approach always outweigh its disadvantage.

mikool007:
What if you just can't afford the ones that are actually qualified?

Ikr!

Very educative. Thanks OP.


Check my signature if you want to send Bulk SMS to DND Numbers

LordKO:
The most effective and efficient means to be at the top of your game as a start-up is to reduce your dependence, at the bare-minimum, on the in-house personnel in particular and hiring at large. Learn how to outsource. . . . The advantage of this approach always outweigh its disadvantage.

kindly explain.
i doubt if start-up could have enough fund to get professionals that will give maximum value, so outsourcing might be on the high side compared to the benefit, when you stumble which is certain as start-up, how do you convince the staff that feels you can send him packing anytime to stay, how do you manage the agent that is on your neck in respect to the staff he sent to you and other if's and how's.
maybe your explanation might open my eyes to another point of view.
***why is this thread scanty, wer everyone waka go

An employer/entrepreneur must choose his partners and/or employees so as to obtain a goal-oriented team. Whether you delegate the recruitment process or not, you should also review the applicants yourself in order to get what you want.

Two can never work together unless they agree (whoever disapproved that¿). Dragnet enlisted a smart young lass who's got a wholesome collection of certifications & expertise for you. He comes around on the job and he's a flop! It happens. Every employer must maintain healthy relationship with his subordinates in good working conditions for effective productivity.

Now here's how to hire your first employees or get fired yourself:


1. Follow Christ's method.

Pray first for guidance. You can easily feel drawn to potential staff after this.


2. Build trust first.

Ya, it's good not to bank your beliefs on anyone. However, in business you must be able to ascertain the capabilities of your teammates and they too should of you. Recruiters often determine this by taking applicants through SJT, BATs and other trials. Sample situations include;

( a) You walk into the employer's office to see a bank note, cheque, document carelessly placed on the floor. What next?

(b) It could be a bottle of perfume/mint left in the hallway. You puffed all the way up the stairs (would the elevators ever function) and that armpit is now a rotten pit. Let's see how you can resist that.

(c) A hirer can leave advert boards at the entrance and then ask you questions to ascertain how well you can observe your environment for opportunities.

(d) A recruiter may act harsh or excessively nice to understand your emotional skills.



3. Look out for dedication

Nothing was mentioned of Judas save for, you guessed it, his role with 30 (which has a thing with Davido) pieces of silver. Peter's boat was used for sermon. The others carried out one task or assisted in the other. We weren't even told how Judas came in and then he did all the [needful] havoc! Rumours have it he was referred by another disciple (Nathaniel) but he got assigned a major role; moneybag! That wreckful employee will often slip in unnoticed.

I'll suggest you engage potential employees in LENGTHY sample tasks unsupervised but with secret surveillance.



4. Communication

An A+ employee knows how to wield this, and trust me, he's not as good as a parrot. One who babbles often, you already know, achieves very little. (Where's that damned Babel tower anyway¿). You can easily spot slanderers and 'gossiployees' because they come off as being too forward and chatty.



5. Your customers have a say

This old customer thing again? Ya! Have you considered asking customers/partners to assess potential employees. It works because they know what they want (but you don't have a customer profile, do you? too bad).



6. Look beyond the profile & attaché

What most recruiters don't know is that the best candidate don't often possess attractive files! Always look beyond the qualifications and consider attitude.


No man's an island. Good cliché! You either make or mar your business with the right/wrong set of employees. Spend a great deal [of everything] on recruiting the best team. Sit behind the wheel and drive your results.

written by me

Further read:
https://www.cleverism.com/successful-hiring-process-how-to-win-a-great-team/