STARTUP HIRING MADE EASY: 7 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU INTERVIEW
The idea of working for a startup can be a very exciting for many people. Having the chance to get in at the ground level and make your mark on the company. The catch is that startups are different from multi-national companies (MNCs). A successful startup will focus on decentralizing power and giving you a chance to explore. You gain a greater level of responsibility and authority which results in a lot more freedom to work. This leads to more responsibility and authority which can give you a lot of freedom to work. You will not be able to find this in most MNCs at an early stage in your career because these roles are given to tenured employees.
WHAT STARTUPS LOOKING FOR?
There are many essential differences in the hiring policy of startups than that of large corporations. We will walk you through seven essentials attributes that startups are looking for.
RISK TAKING ABILITY:
Founding a startup doesn’t go well if you have a risk averse attitude. Founders of startups are very passionate about their dreams and are willing to take risks to build their dreams. Most founders at an early stage will personally interview their employees. They are looking for people that are willing to step outside of their comfort zone and where you achieved success by doing this in your past. They will be looking for actions and not words so don’t just tell them what they want to hear. Show them actions and the results of those actions.
VERSATILITY:
When you join an early stage startup you are doing more than just taking a job. It’s almost like joining a family with limited resources. With everyone working together to support each other to keep the company moving forward. Expect to wear multiple hats and add value wherever you can. Multifaceted individuals with experience will have an edge when applying to work with an early stage startup.
SUSTAINING CHAOS:
Working at a start up is a very high energy and chaotic experience. You must maintain a level of ambiguity and still deliver meaningful, high impact work. Having the ability to sustain ambiguity will play a major role in your success. There will be many times where the decisions that your employer are making don’t make sense to you. Startups are looking for someone who can add value to their ideas versus contesting them.
PROBLEM SOLVING:
While working in this chaos you will encounter many barriers. Interviewers are going to look for someone who is willing to push through these barriers. Not feeling defeated but instead getting excited about taking on new challenges.
INNOVATIVE MIND:
The word innovation and startup are synonyms within the startup world. The mindset of pushing the world, an industry and the status quo to new limits that have never been achieved before. They are looking for people who also adopt these principles. Willing and able to scale with the company by innovating within their departments.
LEARNING ABILITY:
Startups have a considerably steeper learning curve than that of established organizations. New opportunities are presented each day and thus presenting new challenges. Individuals applying for a start up must have a greater willingness to learn, innovate and deliver. There will be many bumps in the road but the return on investment is great, both intellectually and fiscally if with the right company.
VISION ALIGNMENT:
Your success in a startup is indicative of your ability to align with the company vision and the problem being solved. You must identify with the problem and truly believe that solving it for your consumer is the key that will drive you beyond any salary or promotion. You must have a shared belief and it is in both of your best interest to get into an agreement only if the organization’s vision aligns with the individual’s personal beliefs.
