Hiring first employee. Share your best practices!

Elizabeth Tishchenko
12 replies
The team is certainly one of the core factors that determine startups' success, especially early hires. What do you pay the most attention to when getting on board your first employees?

Replies

JD
I pay the most attention to their enthusiasm, creativity, and willingness to learn and grow. I also look for employees who are team-oriented and have a positive attitude. Additionally, I look for employees who have the technical skills and experience necessary to fulfill the role.
Elizabeth Tishchenko
@jd_manager skills for certain are important, but having a positive attitude and enthusiasm is something you would definitely need in a team, especially in the long run.
André J
Launching soon!
Strong and enduring willpower FTW 🚀 ... hard to find tho 😅
Justin Johnson
I've used a few platforms to help source people. MomProject and Toptal have been really helpful. We start on a three month contract through the platform to test employee <> company fit then bring them on FT if it works out. Been a really great way to derisk hiring for us.
Cameron Adams
Choosing a skilled developer is very important. But I think it's more important to choose a sensitive person about what you want. Publish the details about your future product, and try to gather their ideas within enough days. The special idea could make the product better, and we can see that person is also eager to your product. This is my small idea. Thanks for your attention. 🥰
Elizabeth Tishchenko
@cameron_adams3 That's a great test to validate intentions and creativity. We often ask "Why did you apply for us"? It also gives you enough insights
Michael Lappert
I have no experience with this, but by intention i would say if it vibes with the person or not and the passion! If it vibes and the person has passion for your vision, this is the ultimate combination in may eyes.
Elizabeth Tishchenko
@milappert It's actually the toughest to find a person who is passioned your vision. Often even co-founders don't feel the same. But if you managed to 'sell' your vision and induced a spark in employees - well done.
Daniel Radnedge
Exactly this is crucial. I am biased, but I would say partnering with a good agency to help find talent is essential. You massively expand your reach, meaning you'll get, on average, much more talented individuals. If they're good (the agency that is) and get to understand your culture, they'll also present the best values fit too. But like I say... I'm biased. My agency helps early-stage companies hire and retain the best 😉
Elizabeth Tishchenko
@danradnedge I wonder if the agency will easily be able to pick up on founders' needs to find the right match, but they can definitely narrow down the field for search ;)