When it comes to finding a bunch of superstars like The Avengers or The Expendables of software development, you can’t just hire whoever has the best technical knowledge (although that stuff is important too). There are certain traits that you need to look out for, and we’ve made a list of them so you know what to focus on at your next interview. If you manage to hire people that possess every single one of these six traits, you’ve got yourself a winning team.
- A Chameleon
As you may know, startups are high-stress environments where time is of the essence, and you can’t always afford to hire someone for specific tasks. Often, you’ve got to work with what you already have, and this applies to employees more than anything. Of course, you’ll be hiring people with specific skills, but it doesn’t hurt if they’re somewhat multi-talented and can improvise when it comes to completing a task outside of their area of expertise. Your core team should be made up of people who don’t mind assuming different roles, solving problems that are not strictly related to their field and taking on responsibilities that are not in their job descriptions. In the long run, working this way will help you forge a very strong core team, as your first hires will all have a comprehensive understanding of your company and how different processes work.
- A Good Fit
Growing a young startup takes a lot of teamwork. When there’s five or six of you locked in an office for the better part of every workday, you need to make sure that there is as little friction as possible between the members of your team. Of course, it’s good to have people who think differently: the constant clashing of ideas is vital for innovation. But you want to hire someone that fits in with your team’s dynamics, someone that the others actually like. It’s a good idea to involve your team in the recruitment process and make hiring decisions together.
- An Intrapreneur
A startup is not something that’s finished or complete in any way, in fact, it’s just the opposite: constantly growing, changing and reinventing itself. There is always something that could be better. Logically, a startup needs people that can think of ways to improve the company, as well as to come up with a bunch of innovative ideas quickly to overcome unexpected challenges, adapt to tricky situations, and pivot if need be – and these people are the so-called intrapreneurs. An intrapreneur is someone who behaves like an entrepreneur while working within a company, so basically, someone that has an endless amount of innovative ideas about how the company could become better and more efficient. They usually have a spirit of their own and are not afraid to push back and have their opinions heard when they think they know better. And best of all, they feel like it is in their interest to bring out the most of the company. […]
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