Startups go
through many phases as they morph from lean scrappy teams where everyone wears
multiple hats, into more refined (hopefully well-funded) entities with
specialized teams working together in a larger structure. As startups mature,
there is often a time when the leadership and/or investors decide to bring in
more experienced or “high-profile” hires to help the company move to the next
level.
For
employees who have been breaking their backs and pulling all-nighters from Day
One, adjusting to the new dynamic can be a challenge. Victor Ho, the CEO of the
startup FiveStars, has consistently recruited talent from Google, Facebook,
Twitter, and Sony to work along side his day-one staff. His SF-based company,
which offers rewards programs for small businesses, now services 12,000
merchants and 17 million consumers. Ho shared his top tips for seamlessly
integrating new talent with the old team to rev up growth while honoring the
contribution of the startup team. The following in an excerpt of his interview
with Forbes:
Kate L.
Harrison: When planning to bring in someone who is higher profile, what do you
consider? How do you recruit them?
Victor Ho:
Typically, we aim high. We haven't been afraid to cold email extremely high
profile candidates to invite them to join our team. Believe it or not, this
sometimes works, and it's how we got our first high profile hire from Facebook.
When screening candidates, we're looking to see if they're a person who can
build stuff from scratch, who won't just rely on playbooks they've seen work at
previous companies, because they might not translate in our situation. We want
to find the people from high profile companies who want to prove that they can
build from the ground up.
Harrison:
What is the most important thing a CEO can do to successfully integrate a
‘high- profile’ hire?
Ho: The
primary thing we try to do is screen for culture and work ethic, up front. If
the high profile hire already fits your values and culture and is committed to
your mission, integration will be relatively easy.
Harrison:
Did you ever receive any pushback from longstanding employees when it came to
hiring someone from a place like Facebook or Google?
Ho:
Inevitably as you scale, there is some fear among your startup staff.
Sometimes, jobs get narrower or existing reporting relationships get disrupted.
You have to be careful navigating through this potential turmoil, by involving
early employees in your recruitment process. When they see talent and
experience as well as a good culture fit in your high profile hires, you get
more buy-in and connection from your startup employees.
Source: forbes.com
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