Is Your Startup Making These Rookie Hiring Mistakes?

Statistics show that only one out of ten startups succeed. But while chances to survive are slim, startups are booming more than ever. That’s probably because entrepreneurship means you have more freedom and creative control in building your business. Running a startup often involves insufficient financial support and tough decisions, and recruiting is no exception. But as a matter of fact, excellent recruiting is an early indication of a successful business. As a founder or recruiter working at a startup, you should be aware of some typical hiring mistakes.

• Hiring Your Friends

Just like when lending money, it’s best to leave your friends out of the picture, whether they’re classmates, sports buddies, or childhood friends. Sure, it could be fun working with them, but it's just as likely to sabotage workplace professionalism and ruin the friendship. Since firing a friend is much harder than firing someone you don’t personally know, you might put up with their poor performance to avoid hurting their feelings and leaving them unemployed. Be smart. Establish clear boundaries between your personal and professional life.

• Hiring Too Fast

Another common mistake startups make is hiring far too quickly. They tend to skimp on background research and just rush into the interview stage. This leads to companies packed with unqualified workers, missing out on the real talents they should have focused on. The easiest way to solve this problem is to adopt a powerful recruiting software, like Manatal. You can use Manatal’s extension tool to collect candidates profiles in one click, Our intuitive AI recommendation engine will help rank each candidate for the role. The power of technology can greatly help startups find great employees while respecting their desire for speed.

• Not Paying Right

Beware, this mistake routinely causes startups to lose excellent candidates late in the process. Candidates should understand that you don’t have the resources of big companies, but they can often detect when you’re paying them at the low range compared to other professionals in the role. On the other hand, you don’t have to give lavish salaries even when you have plenty of funding. You’ve got to strike the right salary balance in order to attract and keep talented candidates. Pay right, you are playing the long game. you can start by finding typical startup salaries here.

• Overvaluing Generalists

It's not surprising to see a startup CEO acting as an interim marketing expert, copywriter, and tech support. But companies that intend to grow and mature can't only look for jacks-of-all-trades. Figure out your employment needs. Set clear hiring goals. Write focused job postings and interview candidates with the right experience. These are the sort of people who anchor teams in reality.