How to recruit in a startup

At a loss about being a boss? Part 3 of 4: Hire for your weaknesses

How to build a great team.

In part two we suggested getting being yourself is key to great leadership. Being authentic, honest and understanding your style and not being fake. This time we’re asking for a little self-reflection. Think about your weaknesses.

No one is good at everything. No matter how confident or skilled you are there will always be something that you’re just not great at. And that’s fine.

If you listen to any great leader, they will say that one of the best things they did for their business was to hire for their weaknesses. If you reviewed your leadership style and your preferences, you will already know there are some things you either don’t enjoy or aren’t good at doing.

A really common example is sales vs. operations. Typically businesses divide these two sets of tasks because usually (although not always) the type of person who enjoys making sales, is not going to be the person who likes getting into the detail of how operational processes work.

Hiring for your weaknesses can be tough because if you aren’t good at something - and don’t know what those skill sets are - it can be really hard to spot someone who is.  

This is how we do it:

1.     Write a list of what you are looking for

Putting this into a job description is also helpful – you can download our free template here.

2.    Ask the experts for help

Ask people who have a better understanding of the skills you are hiring for either to help you flesh out your requirements (e.g. give you a list of questions/template answers for interviews) or ask if they know someone that could be a great fit.

3.    Involve the team

Especially when you are thinking about cultural fit. It’s really useful to get other members of your team involved in the recruitment process.  They will often spot things you will have missed. Equally, they’ll feel more engaged in the process and more likely to help the new person become a success.

To help you build a great team by hiring for your weaknesses, we have created some guidance on how to structure your interview questions. You can find that here

Paperwork and systems are sorted; you’re comfortable with your leadership style and understand your weaknesses. You’re already becoming a better boss. But how does this sit within your business? Have you thought about culture?

This article is part three of our “at a loss about being a boss” four-part guide aimed at new startup founders. Check out the other blogs in that series: 

Part one: The HR Basics for startups

Part two: Leading a startup

Part four: How to create a culture in your startup

You can also download the full guide, along with worksheets here or, if you have questions book a call with one of the team, we love questions!

We're more than your typical HR Consultants. We work with SMEs to provide forward thinking and results orientated HR services across London.

Working with like-minded businesses, we help you attract and retain the best people. Our goal is to work in partnership with you, to create great places to work, whilst ensuring you're compliant with your legal obligations.

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