Finding and Hiring the Right Talent in a Startup

After many years working in the recruitment advertising space, I get a lot of questions from friends in startups asking about recruiting and hiring the best talent. It's this constant search for the "best" talent that often keeps them from filling open positions and leaves reqs unfilled for months on end. The problem with this approach is that often the "best" talent is not the "right" talent for the job.

Finding the right talent is the real challenge, especially in a startup environment. After pulling together your key employees, people you trust and most often tapped from prior work experience, finding the next set of hires to round out your team can be the difference between success and absolute failure. We are placing a bet that the team we are building will be the perfect team, will fit together seamlessly and will be with the company forever and always. The challenge is that we don't have the time or the budget to experiment with untested talent in a startup environment. So we seek the "best" and scour the job boards, social networks, Linkedin, and every available media to help us find them. When hiring developers, the "best" programmer may look good on paper, come with stellar reviews, and promote themselves as without equals. The challenge is, do they believe in your product, your vision? Can they thrive in your company's culture? Will they follow your direction and execute against your plan, or will they substitute their vision for yours? Or will they simply give up halfway through the project leaving you to scramble to fill the gaping holes they've left behind?

One of the most important things you can do when interviewing for someone to join your company, is to trust your instincts. If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't right. And if you do make a mistake and end up hiring the wrong person for the job, don't waste time trying to rehabilitate them. You can't afford it and you won't be successful. So cut your losses and move on. You will be thankful in the long run.

When interviewing, use the product!

I have interviewed probably a thousand people in my career for all types of positions, and at various companies with multitudes of products. One of the first things I look for is whether the candidate uses the products of our company. This may not always be easy if you are interviewing at an industrial manufacturing plant, but we're talking about consumer internet services for the most part. Even on the B2B side, you can demo almost any web based application so that, at the very least, you can evaluate the look and feel and usability of the application. Even so, I've seen a lot of candidates who have not used our services, nor have they made any attempt to test them or at the very least pretend to use them. I've even gone so far as to prompt users to check out the site or service, yet, no dice. You can lead a horse to water...

The sad truth of it is that this is a dealbreaker. If you can't find the time to even test drive the services, how  can you articulate the value proposition of the company? More importantly, how can you expect the company to find a place for you within their organization if you aren't even curious about what they build or how to relate to their customers? Companies want to hire people that are passionate about their products and services, that look forward to coming to work everyday to make a difference in how the company operates and serves its clients. If you aren't a customer yourself, how can you relate to them and help them get the most value from the products and services? Furthermore, why would you want to work for a company that produces goods and services that you wont use yourself? Seems like a setup for failure for both the candidate and the company right from the outset.

Spend some time getting to know the company you want to work for before submitting your application. You'll  be happier in the long run, and most importantly, when you do get that interview, you'll be better prepared to share your insights and wisdom. Hopefully this will lead to the ultimate goal - a job offer to work for a company where you love what you do and you love what they do, too.

My Pet Family

I am a crazy pet owner. It's true. I have come to this conclusion after years of looking at people who clearly were crazy pet owners and realizing that I share all of the same characteristics:

1. My holiday greeting cards are signed by myself along with each of my pets. I also wrap gifts To: and From: each of my pets, both to each other and also to other family members. I have even sent out holiday cards with pictures of the pets dressed up in their holiday attire
2. My pets have outfits they wear on different occasions, such as their bandannas to support the Texas Longhorns. The dogs proudly wear them; Mango, not so much.
3. I have sent friends and family birthday cards from my pets and have painstakingly drawn out little pawprints for their signature.
4. I have pet health insurance (which is a good thing).
5. I have "pets" not just "a pet". With three dogs and a cat, I am referred to by my neighbors as the "zookeeper." 
6. I refer to my pets as "My Family". 

Pets have always been a part of my family. I can't remember a time without a dog, cat, hamster, guinea pig, parakeet, or an aquarium full of fish. Growing up we even had ducks and chickens as pets. In a lot of ways, pets make us more human. They teach us how to care for others and they give us love and joy in return. They are our constant companions and they enrich our lives with their funny antics and curious looks of bemusement. What's amazing to me is the individuality of each of my pets. Each of my Jack Russell Terriers has a very distinct personality. Sebastian is smart, independent, loyal and a protector. He is almost human. Sydney is stubborn, sweet, friendly and has amazing abilities to connect with people. She is often the "favorite" amongst those that meet her. Shelby is curious, predictable, needy, and a mimic. He is almost always by my side.

Many of my childhood memories such as camping trips, picnics and just hanging out in the backyard are made all the more memorable because I shared them with my pets. As I got older and realized how quickly our pets' lives go by, it made me even more committed and willing to do whatever it takes to give my pets a happy and healthy life. I work hard to educate myself on the needs of each of my pets and surround myself with people who share the same concern and passion for animals. My dog walker is so attuned to each of my pets, that he often is the first to report some abnormality or change in behavior. I partner with my vet to make sure that each of them is receiving the best possible care and that I am as educated as possible on their medical treatment. I'm pretty sure my pets are getting better medical care than I get for myself!

I think we are better people for being pet owners and interacting with pets. Having pets is a huge responsibility, but the joy and happiness they bring into our lives makes life much more enjoyable. If you can't find time to own a pet yourself, seek out volunteer opportunities at your local shelter or humane society. They are in constant need of dog walkers, or support staff to help with feeding time. You never know, you might end up with an addition to your family after all. Then perhaps we'll have one more crazy pet owner out there.

New Starts, New Beginnings

Launching a new company with all of the associated trials and tribulations (more good than bad!) has been keeping me busy of late. Lots of planning and doing and moving ideas from the digital whiteboard to the real world. Years of corporate experience in the operations and strategy areas of startups and established companies doesn't compare to one year, er, two years, on your own, with your own sweat and capital on the line. But the rewards outpace anything that can be earned on someone else's dime or at someone else's direction. And seeing the vision, albeit even in its early stage, start to come to life is the biggest return of them all.

It's with this enthusiasm and spirit that I've come back to the blogging world. Not only to record the ongoing work at PawLinks and other projects, but to occasionally delve into various thoughts and musings, as well as help the startup entrepreneur keep the faith and continue to push forward. It's through the innovators that we see our greatest triumphs.

So, please indulge me as I indulge myself. I might wander a bit, but hope you enjoy the journey. And, check out PawLinks which released as a soft launch beta in February. The service is geared toward the busy pet owner and aims to build a pet ecosystem whereby pet owners and pet service providers can actively engage in all aspects of managing a pet's life.