Dos and Don’ts When Hiring For Your Startup Company

Employees are the soul of most companies, especially for startups. However, finding the right worker is never easy. With constrained resources, it is without doubt that every hire matters. The performance of a single sales staff or customer service officer can tip the balance between a startup’s success and failure. It is also a costly mistake to hire an inappropriate employee; it has been shown that one bad employee is equivalent to a loss of 30% of his annual income, according to statistics by Smartbrief Media Services.

Thus, it goes without saying that startups need to streamline their hiring process. Thankfully, in today’s technological age, there are various means available to cherry pick the right candidate. Identifying these promising individuals is not enough. Vetting them, using techniques to interview them, and checking on their background are all essential measures.

Using Technology To Hire

There is a prevalent misconception that SMEs do not have the headstart like their larger counterparts do, when it comes to hiring ideal candidates. By utilizing internet-based tools and softwares to advertise themselves and their vacant positions, accept applications and conduct interviews, SMEs can reach out to the job applicant market effectively. For instance, the Singapore-based Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) called TigerNixTRM accelerates the employment process by screening and managing online applications. As an employer, you can also use the software to search for resumes using keywords, record applicant profiles, schedule interviews and contact prospective staff.

You do not have to restrict the advertisements to job portals. A wave of social recruiting is building up that consists of employers who employ social media to broadcast their job openings by sharing links of the company’s career website, or by simply tweeting about it. Some startups even scan for prospects on LinkedIn to acquaint themselves with them before announcing their job openings.

However, in order to receive applications from suitable candidates, you must first decide what work needs to be done as specifically as possible. This will help you to realize the unique set of skills and abilities that are required in the new employee, and select the most eligible candidate that possesses those skills.

Referrals & Internships

Do you know that employers are 15% more likely to hire an employee with referral than without? This is because a referral serves as a testimony to the candidate’s work ethics and commitment, and these can substantially reduce the risk of making a bad hire. Apart from referrals, startup companies can also on check out university recruitment or career guidance programs for entry-level positions. Alternatively, instead of formal employment, startups can hire an intern to subject the candidate through a trial run. This exposes the candidate to experiential learning and allows you, as the employer to assess talent effectively.

Pre-Screening & Screening

Many SMEs are nowadays beginning to subject their potential candidates through personality and behavioural assessments such as the Myers Briggs test to understand how they would manage certain professional situations. Some companies even conduct executive assessments as part of a rigorous interview for positions in the upper management in order to evaluate leadership abilities. You should also conduct reference and background checks on potential candidates before offering them the job. Although this is to perform due diligence, ensure caution that you do not discriminate based on their financial credit scores or criminal records.

Asking The Right Questions

In the entire employment process, interviews remain the most crucial assessment of the candidate. As an employer, you need to ask suitable questions that illuminates the candidate’s strengths, weaknesses, aptitude, knowledge, interests and goals. Once again, ensure you do not pose questions of prejudice by asking for their age, gender, ethnicity or race. For your assistance, refer below for a list of suitable questions that you can ask your prospective employees:

• Why did you choose to interview with our organization?
• Of which three accomplishments are  you most proud?
• What motivates you most in a job?
• What skills have you developed that would prepare you for this job?
• Which  classes in your major did you  like best? Least?
• Have you ever quit a job? Why?
• How do you think a former supervisor would describe your work?
• Do you prefer working under supervision or on your own?
• Do you prefer  large or small organizations? Why?
• Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a conflict in a group

It is an upcoming trend that SMEs do not merely rely on interviews to decide the eligibility of a candidate for the position. Thus, you may go beyond the interview to ask the prospective employee to shadow current employees to get a feel of the company’s culture, or create a hypothetical product or solution to a typical business challenge. So be creative!