Large corporations go out of their way to hire headhunters to look for the best available talent for their company. They know hiring the best person makes the company better, period. As a startup you might not be able to afford A-Players for your company but you have qualities that a big conglomerate can not offer. These qualities attract A-Players that are looking for a different path to success and as an organization you have to do what you can to attract and retain them for as long as you can.
Why Should You Hire An A-Player
Whether it is true or not business owners say A-Players extend their life and improve their marriage and that statement speaks to the overall benefit an A-Player brings not only to your company but your personal life. Assembling the right team around you is extremely critical during the initial stages of your startup. Hiring the right person means there is less supervision, coaching and educating you have to do to get things done. The bottom line is you will have an efficient company.
Your Team
A sports team is a good way to compare how you should build your team. In sports whenever there is a free agent with superior skills he looks for the team that will give him the best chance to win the championship for their particular sports. This means there are other very high quality members in that team who will help achieve this goal. True enough the talent wants to get paid his fair market value but there is another impetus that drives this very valuable asset. As a startup the team you put together will be scrutinized by an A-Player to determine if your team is capable of making a success of your company, so make sure they are exceptional.
The Process
Establish a process for hiring the best talent for your organization by exploring more than one source. Keep in touch with all the resources even if you don’t need to hire at the moment. If you hear about a particular person with the right set of qualifications contact them and tell them about your company and the benefits of working for you. Develop a system where you have candidates in the pipeline who are willing to work for your company if the occasion presents itself. Make these candidates part of your network and invite them to parties, seminars or other engagements in your organization.
Affordability
The pay scale for A-Players is usually in the top 10% of their skill with some going higher and others slightly lower. As a new startup you have many intangible benefits a large corporation can not offer. By accentuating these benefits you can attract high end talent without having to pay so much money. This doesn’t always workout so you have to make exceptions if there is a person you absolutely must have.
In House Talent
Companies with a large work force are not truly aware of the talent they possess, often times choosing to look outside of the company to hire for a position. Startups on the other hand have a smaller number of employees. The smaller number gives you the opportunity to know exactly what kind of talent is working for you. If you have an opening explore your in house talent before you start searching anywhere else.
Finding all the qualities you want in an employee is not easy and for smaller companies attributes other than talent become very important. The close working environment and the relationships that exist between your present employees have to be respected and protected. The right fit takes time so don’t choose a quick fix if it means it will tear down what you have put together.
Photo Credits
David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
CoolDesign / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
KangShutters / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
