I previously posted about the top 20 desires of founders and entrepreneurs. Attracting the right people to be able to scale at pace was in the top five.
What can you do to better attract the talent you need?
First of all, it's not just about how you advertise the role. Many people approach recruitment from a perspective of screening and selecting and making applicants demonstrate why they should give them a job. Not only is this outmoded, it's inefficient, and rarely leads to good retention. It often leads to offers of employment being declined too.
Before you advertise, you need to think about what's on offer for the candidate. You may have heard about EVP (Employee Value Proposition) and it largely boils down to answering a few simple questions:
❓ Why would somebody who is relatively happy where they are want to come and work for you?
❓ What are you offering that makes it an attractive prospect for them?
❓ So what? For every "benefit" you come up with, ask yourself what this means to a potential employee. Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself "so what?"
For example: "We're building a really exciting solution to XYZ and have big plans!"
So what?
Is it "so I can earn loads of money and stroke my ego and you get to work your ass off and bask in reflected glory", or "so you can be part of driving the growth, develop personally and professionally through the process, and get some equity shares, while saving the planet/improving social equality/feeding the poor..."?
While it is certainly possible to find people who will share you vision, and even your passion, you have to remember that this business is YOUR baby, not theirs. Don't expect people to be super excited about your idea unless they can also see how it, and their involvement, will satisfy their needs too. Be it for challenge, adventure, bringing order to chaos, delivering growth, or whatever their 'bag' is.
Start-up business owners often fall into the trap of thinking they can't offer good salaries. You often have the flexibility to offer more things that are of value to the right people for a start-up environment. They crave a vibrant company culture, opportunities for growth, and a sense of purpose. While salaries don't have to be HUGE to attract the right talent, they do have to be competitive. A shit salary and promise of pizza on a Friday isn't going to cut it.
Think about perks that won't cost you a lot of money but can be highly valued by individuals: flexible working arrangements; profit and performance related bonuses (even for roles that aren't traditionally remunerated in this way); private healthcare and wellbeing options.
🌟 Pro Tip: Showcase your company's mission and values on your job adverts. Share stories that highlight purpose, achievements, and community involvement. Give potential candidates a glimpse of the exciting journey they could be a part of.
It’s not just a job; it’s an adventure! 🌟
#entrepreneur #founder #businessgrowth #scaling