Hiring for Startups: Advice from Founders and Talent Leaders
Hiring for startups is anything but easy. Get advice from successful founders and talent leaders on everything from how to grow to mistakes to avoid.
Growing a team from scratch can feel like a black hole. To shed some light on the process, we spoke with successful founders and talent leaders for their advice on everything from how to grow, to interviewing tactics and mistakes to avoid.
Get a taste of their advice below, or download the entire (free!) ebook, “The Ultimate Guide to Startup Hiring,” for the whole story.
Essential Tips and Advice from Startup Founders and Leaders
1. Hire for what you need, not what you think you should need.
“When you’re growing organically, even if it’s not optimally, at least you know you won’t overheat.” – Spenser Skates, Co-Founder and CEO of Amplitude
2. Agencies are helpful for hiring executives.
“The caliber of candidates agencies put forward depends on the level of the role. There’s more quality to be found in executive search.” – Scott Zindell, Talent Manager at Getaround
3. Look for a natural bias towards action.
“Early on, you don’t need to hire a bunch of managers. You need to hire doers and makers.” – John Coogan, Co-Founder and CTO of Soylent
4. Take candidate experience seriously.
“Every step of the way, from the moment you interact via email, candidates are evaluating you.” – Arum Kang, Co-Founder and CEO of Co ffee Meets Bagel
5. Take reference checks as seriously as interviews.
“You need to be prepared to reject someone based solely on reference calls.” – Karthik Sridharan, Co-Founder and CEO of Kinnek
Want this advice in a one-page tip sheet?Download the original on the Lever blog.
