Top Recruitment tips for Start-ups

As an incubating start-up, we may be worried that our employer branding is not attractive enough to top talents. With the lack of stability compared to large cooperates, as well as the brutally competitive and saturated talent market compared to a decade before, it seems that start-ups can only win the competition by taking candidates-oriented recruitment practices. But how? 

Here is a part I of our ten recruitment tips for start-ups. The 4th one may surprise you! 

1. SHORTEN THE INTERVIEW TIME (ALSO THE WAITING TIME!)  

In some traditional companies which adopt a strong hierarchical culture, lengthy interview processes are common to test the candidates' “desire” for the position and “perseverance” to challenges, especially to millennials that are relatively impatient. It sounds like a smart and effortless strategy, right?

Unfortunately, not for the start-up industry. The reason why startup positions can be tempting to individuals is the highly flexible and efficient working environment, which can be only maintained by mutual respect between job levels. Such practices may create a negative employer image which drives your time-oriented talents away.

If you are not sure whether the candidate is a fit and have a really tight schedule on hand, try to have a phone interview first. It saves the time and builds a respectful relationship for both of you.

2. STAYING ON TOP OF HR TRENDS

For the sake of taking effective and efficient HR practices, it is crucial for businesses to notice the current HR trend in Asia, not only look for the current market salary level for you to determine your minimum and maximum pay, but also other latest practices that your competitors are taking now.

It is an illusion that HR has always been with the slow pace of change which does not require innovation and creative mindset. However, it is false. For example, it is found that AI technology and machine learning are the hottest trends in the world of HR, with rising demand for personalised HR technology. These can reduce the cost of recruitment and benefit small businesses with limited HR budget. 

“The only way to win is to learn faster than anyone else.” Only by learning the most updated recruitment strategies, can we win in this highly competitive talent market. 

3. ALWAYS SHARE YOUR VISION AND VALUES (WITH A PASSION!)

Stepping into the new era, the interview process is no longer a one-way test to evaluate candidates’ suitability with the job, but also a valuable opportunity for job seekers to truly understand your start-up. By only recruiting job seekers who share similar values with your company, a unified vision and cohesion can be found in the team.

Great business always starts with a belief, a belief that is beautiful enough to persuade others to join you, a belief that is powerful enough to unite the team and achieve your goals. If you have one, why not share it and start influencing your potential employees in the interview?

4. IDENTIFY “LEADERS IN THE MAKING”

People will sometimes consider the innovativeness and agility of candidates as the basic employment requirements for start-ups but may neglect that leadership in start-ups is a valuable resource when you start scaling your business.

Leadership can be interpreted as “leader-shift”. It is not only about having the ability to manage and delegate tasks to subordinates but empowering your teammates to achieve a common goal, shifting closer to success. As they may be the first building blocks of your future empire, they should be able to agree with your vision and have a strong influence on the company culture to fulfil the dream. 

5. WORK ON YOUR EMPLOYER BRANDING

Some recruiters may think that talent marketing is costly and ineffective as the KPI is hard to calculate. In fact, it creates a long-term benefit on your employer branding and can be trackers by taking a more data-driven recruitment method. 

To do that, you do not need to spend a huge amount of money to do job advertisements or hire big media to write a fancy press release. All you need to focus on is the provision of the consistency of your employees’ benefits that are tempting enough and your employees will be your best endorsers to spread the messages thought WOMs. Looking for a more active promotion? Why not share some nice pictures of your comfortable co-working space or crazy holidays celebration with your team on social media? 

Want to know what the next five tips are? Go to Part II now!

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Were any of these common recruitment tips helpful to you? Let us know by leaving a comment below!