How to Hire for Your Business?
To help you find the right people, here are some of the most frequently suggested first hires for your business.
- It’s a good idea to hire from the top and then expand your team as your resources permit.
- Building your company’s internal and external relationships should be a major goal when hiring for entry-level positions.
- Keep your company culture in mind when filling entry-level positions.
- This article is for new business owners who are looking to excel their team.
However, determining who these people should be is easier said than done.
While you may want to recruit more talent for your team, hiring costs time and money. However money is often limited for start-ups, don’t rush the process, hire slowly and assess your candidates carefully.
The people you hire will depend on the specific needs of your business, but any employee you hire should have a few key qualities: flexibility, passion and reliability. Hire people who can handle various responsibilities. Read More: small business loan
8 start up roles to hire
There are certain starting roles that you will want to fill right away. Here are eight important points to consider:
1.Chief executive officer (CEO) and chief operations officer (COO)
Two of the most essential players in your business will be the CEO and the COO. The CEO is usually the general person who controls the direction, vision, and culture of the business, while the COO mainly focuses on the day-to-day operations that keep the business running.
You can outsource these positions, but company founders usually take on these responsibilities. Tierra Wilson, co-founder and CMO of Lovely Impact, recommends starting out as CEO of her company before hiring her. If you and your co-founder(s) are already planning to take on these titles and responsibilities, hire for the next seven positions below.
2. Product manager
The Product Manager will be your resource for all things related to your products. This team member manages the strategy, vision and development of the product. They typically work closely with engineering and marketing teams to create and market their products.
Vince Repaci, senior coach at LOVR Atlantic, said bringing on a product manager can be difficult for founders because they’re usually the initial product manager by default and are heavily invested in their own products or services.
3.Chief technology officer (CTO)
A team member who specializes in technology and development is crucial to the success of your business, especially for technology start ups. Although you can hire freelance front-end and back-end engineers, it’s helpful to have someone from your internal team take care of this. While your team grow up you can divide the roles into two positions.
Reaching out to recruitment services can help you find the right fit for your company’s technology needs. Finding services that offer adequate talent acquisition solutions will benefit your company in the long run. For instance, they can help you identify the necessary skills and qualities needed for your CTO position.
4. Chief marketing officer (CMO)
This team member will focus on your customers and how they perceive your product or service. Andrews said hiring an expert with excellent marketing and promotion skills is key to ensuring your vision reaches a wide audience.
Wilson said. “Find a marketing manager who’s a jack-of-all-trades,” “Until you can scale, they should be able to write copy, design materials, code landing pages, run ad campaigns, and handle social media marketing.
They must also interact with their customers and act as an interim community manager to maintain positive relationships between their business and consumers. This team member may work with the product manager to incorporate customer feedback into product development.
5. Sales manager
This team member will focus on generating new leads and making your business profitable. Wilson said start ups and small business owners who dominate sales first last longer.
Repaci said a qualified sales manager with experience in your industry generally won’t need a lot of training to generate leads and close deals.
6.Chief financial officer (CFO)
Experts suggest start-ups outsource their accounting and finance functions, but if you have the option of hiring a CFO, they can be extremely helpful to your business.
“It’s critical that there is someone on the team who is responsible for the money and has an eye for detail to manage all aspects of the company’s finances,” Andrews said. “
In the beginning, this will range from major issues such as obtaining bank loans and renting premises, to day-to-day needs such as paying suppliers and managing petty cash.
7. Business development manager
Although similar to a sales manager, a business development manager finds ways to grow your business from a marketing and sales perspective. For example, this professional may focus on developing relationships with other businesses to increase revenue and growth potential.
A good business development manager identifies new business opportunities, both within their organization and with other businesses. In doing so, they will look at new markets, areas where you could expand, new partnerships, ways to reach other existing markets, and ways to attract your target customers.
For example, a competitor may be offering a product or service that you haven’t thought of yet. Your business development manager will be looking for ways to not only track your offerings, but to stand out from them to draw more attention to your brand.
8.Customer service agent
Customer service is a critical task that every business must master. Building positive relationships with your clients and clients is the cornerstone of your brand.
It doesn’t matter how good your products or services are if your business doesn’t communicate effectively with your customers and consumers. Without a professional to answer customer questions, calls or concerns, your reputation will inevitably suffer. You will want to fill this position as soon as possible.
How to find the Most Suitable people for your start up
Since each new employee can have a huge impact on a start-up, it’s important to hire people you trust. Andrews said the best way to find your first team members is through word of mouth and personal recommendations. Connect with former colleagues, friends, and people from your alma mater to find those early candidates.
Tip: When interviewing candidates, ask questions that test the person’s drive and reveal how well they might fit into your company culture. Also use hands-on simulations to get an idea of how the candidate will act in common work situations.
Hiring the right start-up roles
A major goal in start-up roles is to strengthen your relationships internally (among employees) as well as externally (among other companies and customers).
Without fulfilling these roles, your business will lack direction and strong leadership. In fact, 65% of company bankruptcies are due to management problems. That’s why it’s crucial to start at the top and then expand your team as your resources permit.
When performing these roles, keep your company’s goals and values in mind. Defining them allows you to find better matches and hone in on the skills and qualities you’re looking for in workers.
Employees wearing Separate hats
Start-ups are often under-resourced and tend to grow and change at a rapid pace. As a result, the day-to-day responsibilities of your employees often evolve with them.
Since start-ups are in the “growth” stage of the business and do not yet have an employee for every role, start-up employees often find themselves in more than one role. This common phenomenon has its own set of advantages and limitations.
Here are some of the benefits of having an employee who performs multiple functions:
- You reduce your personnel costs.
- Your employees understand the many facets of your business.
- Your employees can solve problems in various areas of the business.
Here are some limits of a multitasking employee:
- Employees can become overworked and burnt out.
- Employees may perform tasks they don’t want to do (or haven’t been trained to do), reducing their engagement and job satisfaction.
- They may not be as productive if they change roles frequently or learn new tasks.
Positions to outsource
Certain functions may be outsourced to freelancers and external services.
Here are some common roles that many experts suggest outsourcing:
- Accountants and financial advisors
- Administrative workers
- Attorneys and legal advisors
- Content writers
- Human resources
- Web developers, designers
As a general rule, any profession essential to your core business should be covered in-house, while any non-essential profession can be outsourced.
Company culture
When hiring, make sure your employees embody your company’s mission and vision statement, as well as your company’s culture. Andrews said hiring staff who have the right values is just as important as finding the right skills, as they will influence the culture of the organization going forward.
As your team grows, Repaci said, you need to set aside time to discuss, agree, and align with the type of business you want. Your team and your culture will be the foundation of your continued success.
