Hiring great talent for your business is a very crucial step for building a team. It can be a difficult and time-consuming process, especially for first-time founders who are new to the hiring game.
This process comes with a lot of responsibility, and for this reason, we've come up with these tips that can keep you on the right track to complete your first hire.
(P.S. We asked our founder for some help. Shoutout to Abdul! )
1. First, ask yourself the important questions
Before you get into the process of putting out the word that you're hiring, there are a few questions you should ask yourself.
- Do you have the resources to pay your first hire? It helps to set a budget for estimated salary and compensation.
- Are you ready to make your first hire? You need to make sure your business is at a place where you can take on a new team member.
- Do you have detailed documentation on your business, its mission, processes, and objectives? This will help your candidates understand how the business works, and what the goals are.
- Have you built a bit of structure in place for your business? Having clear systems and workflows will set your potential employee up for success.
If you're able to comfortably answer these questions, you can go on to the next stage.
2. Be clear about the role you are hiring for
Clarity about the roles and responsibilities you want your first hire to take on can increase the chances of success on your first hire.
Start out by writing a clear job description that details the specific tasks the new hire will take on, the skills and experience you'd like them to have, and why you are hiring for the position.
This is a good step to make sure that whoever you eventually hire can be successful in their role. You’ll also be able to effectively evaluate and track their work performance. So, take your time to clearly define realistic expectations for the role, what you are looking to achieve in the short and long term with your first hire, and what success and growth look like in this role.
3. Communicate clearly about the hiring process
Time is money and communication is key. For a successful hiring process, you need to able to communicate what the entire process entails to your candidates, and this communication must be timely, too.
They need to understand every item on the job ad from skills to responsibilities, be aware of application requirements and deadlines, interview dates, next steps after every stage, and how long the entire hiring process is expected to last.
4. Lead with benefits
A competitive salary is great but your candidates are also evaluating you and your business. They need to know that your company cares enough about their well-being more than just the pay being offered.
While you are trying to sell them on your business vision, also lead with benefits that can help you seal the deal. What more are you willing to bring to the table? This could be equity, health insurance, paid time off, gym memberships, free lunch, WFH (work from home) days, free learning programs, ample opportunity to grow in their career, and transparent culture. Don’t just sell how amazing your business is, sell the ways you are going to provide them with the best tools and resources to do their best work.
5. Take your time
Hire slowly but effectively. Don’t make a hasty decision just to fill up a position fast. A bad fit for your team can break your business, it’s much better to take your time and hire the right talent. Your first employee is an important aspect of your business's growth, so, before you make your final decision, carefully assess that your potential hire is a good fit for your culture and business.
Finally...
Completing your very first hire takes intentional work and might be difficult because it's unfamiliar territory, but with each new hire you make, you’ll eventually get better at selecting the right people to work with.
Also, remember to start small too, let your expectations guide you but be flexible enough to identify potential in people who can grow into the role. Keep an eye open for drive and motivation in an early employee.
Don't forget that you can also reach out to other people in your network or industry to get some hiring advice and candidate recommendations, to increase your pool of choice candidates.
If you feel ready to make that first hire, we're rooting for you! Go bring that great person on to your team.
