“The State of Startup Engineering Talent & Hiring at an Early Stage: A Veteran Agency Recruiter's Perspective”

#startup #startuphiring #layoffs #opportunity #hiring #milestones #planning #recru

As a veteran agency recruiter, I've (David Kerr, Incendia Partners, Inc.) had the privilege of working with startups and emerging growth companies at various stages of their development. From pre-seed and seed stage companies that are just getting started to later stage companies that are preparing for an IPO, I've seen it all.?I've seen firsthand the challenges they face when it comes to hiring, and I've also seen the impact that the right hires can have on a startup's trajectory; not to mention how catastrophic a bad hire can be at an early stage.

The ever-evolving marketplace has caused many individuals to feel perplexed and adrift. Nevertheless, for fledgling companies that received investments and need to expand their teams by hiring new employees, this period offers a rare chance. With the most current outbreak of layoffs from prominent tech corporations, there is an abundance of high-caliber talent accessible, but they are recruited very rapidly. If startups react quickly, they can secure these A-listers and use them to boost themselves moving onward. Now more than before, it is imperative for startups to have their hiring milestones set, and recruiting in place. By being set up in advance, they will be able to capitalize on this opening and come out on top.?If you don't have an in-house recruitment team, or their network just isn’t as robust as necessary, it's a good idea to identify a recruiter to work with before you start your search; get your agreement in place so you are ready to move immediately when the timing is right. Look for someone who has been with their firm for 10+ years and has a proven track record of successful recruiting in the tech and engineering industries.

One question I'm often asked is "What positions should a startup hire for immediately, and how can I achieve these milestones?" While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, there are certain positions that I believe are essential for any startup that wants to be successful.

Here is my list of positions I encourage start-ups to hire immediately:

1. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) / Founder Hybrid, focuses on big-picture, company direction, day-to-day, vision and culture.
2. The Product Manager will be your key resource for anything and everything relating to your products. This team member is responsible for the product strategy, vision and development. They usually work hand-in-hand with the engineering and marketing teams to develop and promote your products.
3. Hybrid CTO / VP of Engineer - A team member who specializes in technology and development is crucial to your business's success. They'll need to consider everything from hardware to software and mobile technology.
4. Lead / Architect level Full Stack Engineer or Front End Engineer & a Backend Engineer - To design, architect and build out your platform.
5. Hire a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Community Manager Hybrid who has strong marketing and promotion skills. They should be able to write copy, design collateral, code Landing Pages, run ad-Campaigns and interact with your customers. They should also be able to work with the product manager to incorporate customer feedback into product development.
6. A Sales Manager will help you generate new leads and revenue. Hire an awesome rep or manager, then use the money they bring in to hire more team members. This is the hardest role to fill, but the payoff is huge if you get the right person.
7. Experts recommend that startups outsource their accounting and finance roles to a CFO. This person should be responsible for the money and have an eye for detail to manage all aspects of the company's finances. In the early stages, this will range from securing bank loans to renting office space.
8. A Business Developer focuses on growing your business via new client acquisition and relationship-building. They identify new business opportunities and ways to grow your company's bottom line through new market expansions, new partnership deals, or new ways of reaching your customer base. For instance, they may find a competitor is already providing a certain type of services or products that you don't yet offer - so they'll look for ways to set you apart from the competition and appeal to more clients.
9. A Customer Service Rep/Manager is crucial to the success of any company. If you don't have the resources to hire someone for this position, consider using a Customer Service Rep Contractor instead, or embed and employ live chat within your product or service offering.?This person will have all the skills needed to handle your client's needs and will work directly with them. This will allow your employees to focus on what they do best - selling!

~ This piece was penned by David J. Kerr, a staffing specialist with over 18 years of recruitment firm expertise under his belt. He began his professional journey in the world of contract and permanent software engineering and IT placements, completing Hundreds of successful assignments throughout the Software Development Life Cycle and various infrastructure projects. Eventually, he took the helm of a fledgling division at Incendia that has since ballooned to 15+ strong, productive recruiters. These days you can find David dedicating his time to aiding startups in hitting their hiring milestones with a sharp focus on SaaS and tech-centric burgeoning businesses – though he hasn’t left his bread and butter behind entirely, also providing support to large publicly traded companies experiencing growth spurts. In many cases, he works hand-in-hand with venture capitalists and private equity firms to lead the placement process for their portfolio companies. His ongoing interests lie in technology but he also does significant work placing executives and other employees in marketing and sales positions across organizations from the C-suite on down.

Contact him today if you are a company hiring in need of his expertise: [email protected]