Top hiring practices every early-stage startup should know
Spencer Bratman
Growth @ Dover
November 19, 2024
•
3 min
Before you start hiring, you need to define your talent needs. Early-stage startups often have to hire loosely defined positions that wear multiple hats. You need to take the time to clearly map out the skills and qualifications you need out of your early hires.
Start by identifying clearly defined key roles. Finding qualified candidates for these critical roles is easier since you know their roles and responsibilities. For more general roles, prioritize skills over job titles. Focus on the capabilities a candidate needs to have to succeed. Finally, keep your upcoming growth in mind and consider how many roles you’ll need to fill to keep your scaling efforts from slowing down.
By setting clear priorities, you can ensure recruitment efforts are aligned with your business objectives.
Your employer brand is your startup’s identity and reputation in the talent marketplace. A strong employer brand can help attract top candidates that resonate with your vision and values.
You can build your employer brand by showcasing your work culture. Talk about your mission, workplace environment and vision for the future in job descriptions and on your website. Also, encourage your team to share their experiences and advocate for your brand online.
One of the best ways to build a strong employer brand is by creating a great candidate experience. Even if a candidate isn’t hired, they should walk away feeling like their time was respected and valued during the recruitment process.
Employee referrals are among one of the easiest and most effective ways to get high-quality candidates. Your team likely already knows talented individuals, and they can reach out and connect you with them.
Referrals are great because they likely already align with your team culture if they get along well with your existing team members. They’re also an efficient and cost-effective way to find great talent. Since you trust the judgment of your team members, you may not have to spend as much time and effort in hiring.
To encourage referrals, make sure you have a structured referral program in place that rewards and incentivizes successful referral placements.
Utilize ATS for Efficient Candidate Management
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is essential for managing your candidate pipeline. Early-stage startups often struggle with manual processes and keeping hiring organized. This can lead to wasted time and missed opportunities.
With an ATS, you can keep all of your candidates in one place. An ATS allows you to track candidates from applicant to offer, so you don’t let any of them slip through the cracks.
ATS platforms like Dover can also significantly speed up hiring with tools like AI-assisted resume scoring, automated scheduling and automated job posting. Leveraging these features not only leads to a more organized and streamlined hiring process but also to better-quality hires.
Streamline Interview Processes to Save Time
In the fast-paced world of early-stage startups, you don’t have time for lengthy recruitment processes. If you have a clunky and slow hiring pipeline, you can lose out on top candidates and waste valuable time for both candidates and the company.
You can implement some best practices to streamline your interviews, such as:
Limit rounds: Five or six rounds of interviews are overwhelming and unnecessarily time-consuming. Reduce them to two to three rounds, depending on the role.
Prepare structured questions: Use consistent questions and align hiring stakeholders on the interview process.
Use technology: Remember how useful we said an ATS can be? Using an ATS can also help streamline interviews, as can other technologies like scheduling tools, video interviews and more.
A well-structured and efficient interview process also improves your employer's brand, so it’s a win-win.
Offer Competitive Compensation and Benefits
Early-stage startups may not always be competitive with larger companies regarding salary. However, creative compensation and benefit packages can help attract the best talent eager to grow with the company.
You can offer compensation options like equity to make a lower salary more attractive. A compensation package can include perks like flexible work hours, unlimited PTO and remote work.
Finally, you should be transparent during the negotiation process and discuss your budget for the role. While it may be outside their preferred range, growth opportunities and other benefits may be enough to get a top candidate off the fence.
