How to get your first employee?

If there is an important role for anyone other than the founder in a startup or new business, that is the core team. The core team is many of the initial hires who are the organization’s first employees and the crucial executors of the startup strategy. Your first hires build the foundation that your startup will stand on.

But, as a startup founder, how do you know when is the right time to hire, and how do you do it when the time comes? Here are the questions you need to ask yourself and the steps you must include in your startup strategy while hiring your first employee. Read on to find out.?

When to hire?

When it comes to the all-important question of “Is it time to hire?”- It is essential to ask yourself if there is a pain point that you are struggling to solve. A promising sign to look for is when you have the combination of a pain point + a repeatable process. For example, if you feel the need for a website to start your marketing efforts, it is probably best to hire a marketer who can help with everything.?

As part of your startup strategy, keep an eye out for crucial tasks that take up your time and are not your strong suit (for example- marketing or software development); it might be time to hire—of course, as long as you can afford it.?

Before hiring your first employee, evaluate if you have enough work which requires their expertise. Otherwise, you might have to let the employee go once their expertise is not needed- a situation we would like you to avoid.??

Before you jump into the decision of hiring, ask yourself this question, “Am I ready to delegate this task to someone who has similar experience? - Surprisingly, most entrepreneurs consider their startup as their baby, struggling to give control, making it difficult for the employee at a later stage.?

Who to hire?

So you decided you need to hire someone to help you with a specific operation of your startup. But, how do you hire them? Here’s how-

1. Look for Potential:

When hiring within a budget at a startup stage, you might feel like you are losing some good talent. However, the trick to a good hire is to ensure that you notice the potential and not just evidence of past experiences. For example, you might be on the lookout for a designer. However, experienced designers do not come in cheap, and if you are not ready to spend that kind of budget, it might be wiser to hire a talented freelancer or novice for the job. With your input and guidance, they might be able to deliver top-grade work even though they lack the experience.?

2. Have applicants demonstrate skills:

Never make the mistake of hiring based only on an interview. Many people know exactly how to answer interview questions in a way that pleases the other. Even research shows that the best way to vet someone is to have them complete a related task. For example, if you’re hiring a designer, ask them to design something for you. It is a great way to figure out how they tackle the assignment without guidance and find whether they are motivated enough to do the research and the design work. The results can show the candidates that didn’t put the time or energy, and you can remove them from consideration while the rest can move to your interview round.?

3. Design an onboarding process:

It is imperative to define this as part of your startup strategy and make this process scale as you grow. Invite the shortlisted candidates to spend a day with you and observe their work ethics and thought processes. The truth is, you can find out a lot about someone if you spend time with them. And as a founder, you can rest assured that you found someone who believes in your vision and can take the next step forward.

It is an exciting time for you if you are making your first hire. After all, it signifies that you are growing. Do follow us to read our next article on the Nentr LinkedIn page to find out a step-by-step hiring process for you to execute and hire your first employee.?