- Starting Up? Here’s How to Recruit a Killer Team -

A start-up company simply can’t afford to have prima donnas or to carry deadwood on its staff. So when recruiting talent to help take your start-up into the future, it’s important to assess your own capabilities, determine your needs and choose carefully.

Here are some essential qualities to look for in job candidates:

Adaptability

The work environment at a start-up tends to be very fluid, so flexibility is extremely important. The members of your team will likely wear several hats simultaneously. Look for people who can sing and dance – people with multiple talents and broad skill sets.

Confidence

People who work at start-ups are often called upon to step into new roles, solve unfamiliar problems and shoulder additional responsibilities. Confidence is what enables them to do this.

Enthusiasm and Optimism

A start-up environment often entails long hours, hard work and high stress levels. It helps to have people on board who have passion for the company, believe in its mission and support your goals.

Also look for people whose work styles and business experience complement your own. Very often for start-ups, fund-raising, selling and relationship-building skills are crucial.

Additional abilities you will want to incorporate into your team include project management capability, financial acumen and marketing savvy.

The wrong hire can set you back and possibly sink your promising start-up business.

However, if you build a killer team by hiring the right mix of people, you will vastly improve your chances of building a successful company.

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