Presented by TriNet
You may be taking on tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Amazon in the talent wars — but there are real strategies for fast-growing tech companies to emerge triumphant. Access this VB Live event to learn what it takes to snag the best talent in a competitive market.
Securing the right talent is a huge part of ensuring your company keeps growing. But inevitably, access to that talent is the thing that’s keeping technology executives and founders up at night. The market is competitive, there’s a shortage in some skilled roles — data scientists for example — and sometimes, fast-growing companies just don’t know what it takes to hire great talent.
“At the earlier stages of a company, hiring is not someone’s core competency,” explains David Hughson, VP Technology Sector, TriNet.
They’re probably not trained as a recruiter, or may not have a lot of experience in hiring. Or they may be managing the hiring process in addition to wearing a number of other hats in running the business. When you have that dynamic at play, whether you’re an executive or hiring manager within a department, you may not be able to take the time to build out a strategy or define the roles in the hiring process. You might not be spending enough time sourcing candidates or crafting the perfect job description. That creates major challenges.
“If you don’t have that level of discipline, as a startup company, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage to some of those larger tech giants,” Hughson adds. “Maybe you’re fortunate enough to connect with a great candidate, but then you may lose that candidate at some point during the process by not having the right structures in place.”
Larger companies have the ability to invest in other resources, so they can develop internship programs, or they may be able to take the time and have the resources to support internal candidates with things like professional development, helping them level up within the organization. But for a startup, you’re racing against the clock. So to fill that role within the business, you often have to look external for key hires, and naturally those external candidates are going to be difficult to find. They may be happy in their current roles. It puts a steep challenge ahead of you.
Plus, the brand recognition that some of those larger companies have is a natural advantage for them. A candidate might have the perception that joining a startup has more risk than joining a larger company.
“While that is a real challenge and a risk, what’s incumbent upon the startup is just knowing that going in,” he adds. “Be prepared to address the types of questions that a candidate may have and have a strong opinion on your benefits package, or things like vacation policies or flexible work hours — all aimed at allaying the concerns of that candidate. Put yourself in a position to be able to win them over.”
There are essential recruiting strategies that small, successful startup companies can leverage. The employee referral bonus is an especially powerful tool, says Joseph Funari, CEO, HyreCar, and it’s something you can do right from the earliest stages of your business. Your current employees are the best ambassadors for your company. They’ll represent your company culture and they’ll be able to talk to colleagues they’ve worked with at previous companies, or people they may have gone to school with, about how engaged they are or how valued they feel as a part of your company.
HyreCar was really fortunate that their first employee was a graduate of Cal State Fullerton, which has a great business entrepreneurship program, Funari says. They used this first employee’s connections with the university to create a solid pipeline of new hire grads, and opened up an employee referral program that meant all those grads they started to recruit began bringing in their friends.
“Not only do you have a great pipeline of candidates, but now also you have a great culture, because everyone is sticking together,” he says. “I heard from one of my new employees the other day that it feels like everyone really loves each other here. That is something that I think most companies would really strive for.”
Also ensure that your online presence is robust, and that your marketing team is thinking just as strategically and putting as much of a priority on your employer brand as they are about the brand that you have out in the market to customers.
More tactically, you should be investing in tools to support talent acquisition, including some surprisingly low-cost tools and techniques that startups can use to gain a leg up on their larger competitors.
Join Hughson and Funari as they share essential strategies that most companies overlook, what employees are really looking for, the technology that is boosting success rates and more when you access this webinar free, on demand.
Don’t miss out.
Access free free on demand right here.
Key takeaways:
- How to manage your company’s explosive growth from the HR front
- Actionable recruiting strategies to effectively hire the right talent
- How to attract and retain a diverse and digitally skilled talent pool
- What premium benefits potential employees want
Speakers:
- Joseph Funari, CEO, HyreCar
- David Hughson, VP Technology Sector, TriNet
