In the era of uncertainty, instability, and dynamism created by technology, the skills of an Employee decide whether the organization will be successful, survive, or shut down. This is true for every organization irrespective of the nature, size, scale, and industry in which it operates. So, the golden rule is that the HR departments must invest time, effort, and resources while hiring the right candidate. This is a critical decision for the start-ups that are hiring and retaining the right talent.

Difference between hiring for start-ups from the larger organizations

The start-ups usually seek employees with a growth orientation that is similar to them. They usually drive to innovate, experiment and are ready to take risks. The work culture is also very different in the start-ups where the top-down approach is usually not followed as compared to the large organizations where the sole criteria are to fit in the environment. Start-ups are much flatter in the power structure. This means that if any person wants to grow in a start-up, the only way is to take initiative and perform rather than rise through the connections in the office, or seniority. 

When the hiring is not done efficiently, the start-ups have to pay a heavy price- ranging from slow growth to shutting down of the whole business. Hiring the undeserving candidates, or the wrong talents is one of the top reasons for shutting down start-ups. 

Since the start-ups are usually a very small venture, the newly hired staff creates a heavy impact on the culture, and therefore makes or breaks the organization. If we focus on the larger organizations, they already have a culture to follow, and values they abide by. The employees who move in and move out do not usually affect the larger organizations, however, they leave a big gap in the working of the start-ups. So, hiring the potential and right candidate is an essential step for start-ups. 

Also read:

Hiring Employees for a STARTUP?

Expectations of start-up entrepreneurs from their employees?

The hiring process is undoubtedly different for the start-ups from the MNCs. But when we talk about the skill sets, even they are quite different. Domain-oriented skills are required for the employees. However, there are a lot of other skills required other than subject matter. Here are some skill sets that start-up entrepreneurs expect from their employees.

1. Entrepreneurial skills 

Entrepreneurship is not only about starting a business or venture with a creative and innovative mindset. An entrepreneur should have problem-solving techniques, and be resourceful enough to turn the ideas into actions. Start-ups actively seek the entrepreneurial skills and competence of their employees.

• The employees must be risk-takers, innovators, and strategic thinkers
• They can solve any problem creatively
• They can think out of the box 
• They are initiate-takers.

2. Leadership skills 

Start-ups usually go for the people who are doers, and initiative takers. The employees should not wait around for the instructions to carry on their tasks, but actively take responsibility for their actions. They even consider the employees who take up multiple tasks at a time. It is rightly said, “a leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way”. 

Start-ups seek leaders apart from the CEOs, CTOs, who can create a positive impact and become influencers of the culture. 

3. Communication skills 

Communication is a necessity in this era and is critical for all types of organizations. Listening skills are the ability to ask questions, and give constructive feedback on the important parts of effective communications and very important skills for the employees to possess. 

4. Marketing skills 

Start-ups expect their employees to have excellent marketing skills, not just for the product but also for the brand and the organization. They also have the ability to pitch the idea to the organization and draw the attention of the clients. 

Read more:

The Top 6 Marketing Channels You Should Focus on in 2021

5. Networking skills 

Start-ups usually never miss the opportunities to network with potential investors, mentors, etc., and help them scale up and grow. Therefore, start-up entrepreneurs expect the employees to be well-versed in networking skills. 

6. Tech-savviness

They need effective and efficient work in their functioning as much as in their products/services/solutions. With the work-from-home culture, start-ups can hire people across the world. Start-ups expect their employees to be tech-savvy and able to adapt to the changing environment. 

7. Strong interpersonal skills 

Last but not least, a start-up looks for a strong interpersonal skill-set. The least people expect is the office politics and creepy talks between the employees. They expect the employees to be team players who are willing to collaborate and cooperate. They expect good work ethics and the ability to adapt to fit in the work culture.

Conclusion

The development of technology has made a lot of changes in today’s world. The skill set requirements are also changing rapidly and entrepreneurs are looking for hiring the best talents. So, along with the above-mentioned skill-set, employees should be passionate, and willing to work to learn continuously. 

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