Communications of the ACM
How to Build a Stellar Team at a High-Potential Startup
Credit: eDist Canada
Startups face the challenge of recruiting world-class talent at a time when there is a war for talent within the technology world. Even startups with an impressive pedigree and venture capital backing can spend a significant amount of time recruiting top talent. Even when a top candidate does decide to join a startup team, it could take as long as a year to make the process happen. Engineers need to be convinced that they can really shine at the startup, and that they can help solve a problem that had never been tackled before. The article takes a closer look at how startups can achieve success in hiring great people, emphasizing that great things come out of a culture that combines experience with youth and enthusiasm.
For new startups, it helps to have existing networks where they can develop connections and pinpoint the brightest young talent. Find out where your target employees are, and find ways to reach them. Establish your on-campus reputation by sponsoring engineering "hackathon" competitions and by focusing recruitment efforts at a small number of prestigious computer science programs, looking for students interested in building stuff, rather than just maintaining sky-high GPAs. It also helps to take a long-term view of the hiring process. That means socializing at events that aren't directly related to recruiting. A company's core idea is one of its most valuable assets for recruiting and retaining talent. It doesn't matter how many great people you hire if you can't keep their attention. A corporate culture that encourages creative input and helps people work with other smart people is attractive.
While companies have long turned to sites like Monster and CareerBuilder to fill open jobs, they're not always the best options for startups, especially those in specialized fields or that require specific skill sets. When it comes to recruiting top talent, the employees rarely consider job boards. Instead, they focus on niche services that connect tech talent with company founders, such as VentureLoop, StartUpers and Startuply. One new service is StartupDigest VIP, which aims to help startups find engineers and designers. Pay special attention when posting job ads, because often it's the first impression candidates get of a company. Furthermore, post in relevant places, like a niche startup board or through an incubator like TechStars or Y Combinator, which will yield more responses from candidates who understand what to expect when signing on with a startup. Spend as much time writing the job description as a motivated candidate would in responding to it.
From Entrepreneur
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