Team building in a start-up
You have a start-up idea; you started your organization along with your co-founder. You have begun your entrepreneurial journey and have seen some progress. You have now decided that you would need to hire people with the right skill sets to scale your organization. These are a few ways you can build your team in your start-up.
How would you decide what sort of people to hire?
The first step in deciding the types of people to hire would be to make a checklist of complementary skills. In the earlier days, you would also be working as a front-line executive. You will need to hire someone who has skill sets that are complementary to that of yours.
Why is it difficult to hire people and build a team in a start-up?
You have to get top notch people to join your team. This will help you put some life in your dream. However, it is not that easy to build such a team because you would not have lots of funds and you will be considered as a risky proposition to join. You will need to convince the best people to join you.
How you would decide the organization structure?
In the early days, it is good to divide the tasks into certain skill sets and delegate the tasks. This is the time to give responsibility to people. However, it is good to have a direct oversight on your people. This is because, the managers or the mentors you will assign in your start up may not be the kind of managers you would want them to be. You will have to build an official relationship and skill sets as a manager with them over time.
How do you identify candidates?
The best way for you to identify the people would be through known circles. The people who come in cold without any reference will be hesitant to join you. They might also expect a high amount of a salary component which you might not be able to afford. So, reach out to all the people you know, tell them about your start-up.
Additionally, ask them to refer you to their known customers.
How to assign responsibilities?
Along with your co-founding team, write down all the aspects of your business. You can then divide the responsibilities. Assign parts of the tasks to be done to people based on their skill sets.
How to manage them post hire?
Keep their motivation high. People tend to get demotivated because of sudden uncertainty that might come out of working for start-ups. They might not see constant progress especially if you are doing something disruptive. You will have to assign the right responsibilities to people.
Constant communication
Being a small firm, you will not have complex hierarchies. You can take up the job of talking directly to all the people in your start-up and can keep them motivated so that they build your organization.
Share the successes and challenges with them on a constant basis.
Your colleagues have signed up to a model of a secured job and a monthly compensation. They will always have a fear of getting retrenched and the company taking off the ground. You will, as a founder, have to constantly communicate with them and share the successes and most importantly the lows also. This open communication will increase the bonding and the employees will also put in their best to make the company a bigger one.
Doing these will help you hire a good team and build it as well. You will have to be a front-line manager for these people in order to allay their insecurities of working for a start-up. They will be happy to be in touch with the owner of the company. The vision of the organization can be communicated to the initial team. The team will be motivated as they will also know what they are supposed to achieve. You can build a strong team and can take your company to the next level.
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