Startup Hiring Success
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📈 Startup Hiring Success - The People You Know

📈 Startup Hiring Success - The People You Know

Dave White
August 14, 2024

In This Issue

Hire People You Know

Hiring Friends and Family

Plus

3 Quick Tips

Hire People You Know

“The best way to advance in a startup is through your network. Hiring is often about who you know, not just what you know.”

- Reid Hoffman, Co-founder of LinkedIn

Your personal network is one of the best tools you have to hire the people you need. Think about this:

You know and trust each other and can be direct.
You start with a known relationship.
You know how willing (and capable) they are to learn.
You know their strengths and weaknesses and they know yours.
You know their style and fit.
Your potential investors will see a team with a track record.

Make a list of people you know (and who they might know) and evaluate each one.
- Co-workers
- School alumni / roommates
- Sports and social team members
- Professors, deans, and school leaders
- Connections on LinkedIn and other platforms
Pick the top 20 and meet with them.
- (Then pick the next 20…)
Continue to expand your network as you grow.
Have your employees expand their networks as part of their investment in your growth.

Check out my 3 Quick Tips below.

Worth reading from LinkedIn:

“How Do You Use Your Network To Hire and Retain Talent?”

Hiring Friends and Family

For many early-stage startups, hiring friends and family is a viable way to start. You know them and have a relationship.

Make sure you are able to work together in your startup. Be prepared to say “no” if it does not work out.

A few key points to help you succeed and avoid future pain:

Interview them as you would any candidate. Yes, this can be awkward, but you both need a chance to really vet this decision.
Develop a written job description with metrics with milestones.
Write down who will be responsible, who is running the company and how decisions will be made.
Determine how you will resolve conflicts ahead of time.
Sign a formal offer before they start.
Provide a formal onboarding plan.
Catch issues immediately. It is easy to let things slip, leading to festering problems and hard feelings.

Think about this - someday you might need to let them go. Tell them this may happen before they join. It might be for performance, lack of funds, or a change in direction. Prepare them for this possible outcome.

Worth reading from Score:

“Should You Hire Family Members To Work In. Your Startup?”

“Who do you know?” Ask this of everyone you know all of the time. People are happy to refer people they know.
Have your employer brand ready at all times to draw people to you.
Fully vet your friends and family to avoid tragic mistakes that can impact your business and personal life.

Founder Institute

Founder Institute offers amazing resources from, ideation, fund raising,

, co-founders, recruiting, networking, legal, and general business. They offer cohorts for those looking for that, but the resources are available to everyone.

Parting Thoughts

“When building Spanx, I relied heavily on my network. Hiring people I knew or who came recommended by trusted friends helped us move quickly and effectively.”

- Sara Blakely, Founder of Spanx

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Our Mission

Help early-stage startups grow, recruit, hire, and stay true to their values and culture. Provide timely information and resources that help founders, CEOs, and hiring teams save valuable money and time. Listen to our audience and adjust as requested.

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