The Traits of Truly Exceptional Startup Talent

You need the vigor to start and work at a startup! It is an adventure filled with success, satisfaction, and a chance to grow but also many setbacks, frustrations, and failures. You must build a workable enterprise from scratch using limited resources in the business world’s shark-infested waters. As a result, most startups fail within a few years of their establishment. Building the right team, with a suitable attitude, personality, and skillset, can significantly contribute to your startup’s success. Over the years, I have learned that certain qualities distinguish startup-ready people from other talents. These are the qualities we look for when hiring and keeping talent for our startup: 

Grit and Perseverance 

Working in a startup can be brutal, with non-stop pressure, frustrations, and setbacks. As a result, we look for co-workers who are not demoralized and defeated by setbacks and failures. Our goal is hiring people who can learn from their setbacks, pick themselves up, and try repeatedly until they succeed in carrying out their goal. A resilient employee that can work under immense pressure and succeed in delivering high-quality work with limited resources is perfect for startup culture and will add exponential value to any business. 

Curious and Passionate Learners 

The world of startups is a competitive, dynamic, and ever-changing environment. Whoever wants to work in a startup must always be in exploration mode to discover and enthusiastically learn the latest trends, skills, and technologies to thrive in startup culture and help their company stay relevant and competitive in the market. When hiring talent for our startup, we look for someone who is inherently curious, passionate for discovery, and loves to learn a diverse set of skills to help the business grow. 

Diverse Skillset and Experiences 

At most startups, you will be assigned new roles or would be needed to perform tasks that are beyond your official job responsibilities. Performing diverse tasks does not mean overburdening the teams with extra work. The way we work is simple - Intern or Co-founder, they are all encouraged to maximize their abilities and skills for their growth and the company’s success. This approach also helps our co-workers to further improve their skills in areas outside their field of work. 

An employee with diverse interests, experiences, and skillset can perform the functions of many while keeping the workforce lean and efficient, adding exponential value to the business. Talents that are willing and able to wear multiple hats, and not feel uneasy or intimidated working outside their comfort zone can take any organization to the next level. 

Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills 

You will meet many challenges and obstacles while working at a startup, but solving a problem with money is not always a practical possibility. That is why we look we look to hire people who can think creatively and craft innovative ideas to find creative solutions for solving existing problems. An employee with excellent critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills will find practical solutions to reduce impediments to the company’s growth and development.  

Confidence 

A confident employee has enough self-assurance to take ownership of their shortcomings, and will not hesitate to ask for feedback/advice from colleagues when a task or project could use some help. When hiring talent for our startup, we look for someone confident enough to take calculated risks and act on their decisions, take responsibility for their actions, admit mistakes and failures, and not be afraid to step and work outside their comfort zone. 

Resourceful 

Most startups run on meager resources to stay afloat. As a result, we look for people that can use these limited resources ingeniously and efficiently to achieve our desired goal and produce a valuable outcome. A resourceful employee finds and acknowledges the company’s shortcomings and strengths, and uses the company’s strengths to overcome weaknesses. For example, a Marketing Manager at a cash-strapped startup with skilled writers would focus on digital advertising or earned media options instead of paid traditional advertising to maximize the company’s exposure and visibility. 

With limited resources and colossal goals and aims to carry out, startup culture can be a challenging experience for many of those who may not be comfortable working under relentless pressures and obstacles. The attitude, personality, and skillset required for working in a startup differ from those needed to work in large corporations. So, it takes a certain type of individual to be able to thrive in a startup work environment. These are some of the qualities we look for when adding people to our startup. What do you look for in a potential new hire? 

_____________ 

Captains, Inc. is a smart wellness company based in San Francisco, CA, offering affordable wellness solutions for every home. Captains, Inc. is hiring! If you think you have what it takes to work for a startup or know someone who does, let us talk!