When you go through your first (or second, or third) round of funding, everything changes. Suddenly, you’re not just an entrepreneur with a brilliant idea and a limited budget, you’re a founder with the responsibility of an entire organisation – and its investors – on your shoulders.
At this point, it can feel as though you’re being pulled in a hundred different directions. While you may be used to having direct dealings over every part of the business, time and resources now dictate that you will need to entrust certain functions to other people. From marketing to accounting, there will be plenty of external agencies vying for your attention and your business.
Recruitment is likely to be one of the areas you’ll hand over to someone else – after all, you’ll probably be hiring for several different positions, and you’ll need to think carefully about how you’ll find the best talent. Fortunately, partnering with a specialist recruitment agency will make technical roles easier to fill. Here’s why.
Start as you mean to go on
Making the right choice for your first few hires is crucial for long-term success. If you haven’t made any technical hires so far, a specialist recruiter can help you to find the people with the right skills profile, and those that will help you to instil a culture and values from the off. As a start-up, your roadmap will often be dictated by funding rounds, meaning you’ll need people who are used to working in this way, as well as those with niche technical skills.
Candidates who have never worked with start-ups previously can sometimes be put off by the perceived volatility of these businesses. This has been exacerbated by the current market conditions, meaning candidates are often hesitant to consider new roles. By partnering with a niche hiring expert in your organisation’s early stages, you can go to candidates with a strong message, which will reassure them of your stability and growth opportunities. They will also explain the benefits of working with start-ups, such as the likelihood of increased responsibility and the opportunity to work with emerging technology.
A boost to your brand
Marketing who you are as an employer is a huge part of talent attraction. This is related to your company culture, but equally important is how you present that culture to prospective employees.
Specialist recruiters working on your behalf will have direct conversations with candidates about you and your business. Even if the candidate is not available for the current role, they will leave the conversation with a positive impression of your organisation. They’ll be more likely to recommend you to other talented individuals, and to consider a role with your company in the future.
Working with a specialist recruiter means that there is always someone in the market, singing your praises. This is especially important for start-ups, who will be competing for talent against well-known and established brands.
Scaling with pace
The one resource start-ups can never get enough of is time. In 2017, LinkedIn’s Global Recruiting Trends survey reported that the average time to hire can be as long as four months. For start-ups this can take even longer, because you’re starting from a completely fresh slate.
Candidates, for example, are unlikely to recognise your brand, whereas they will be familiar with the relevant recruiters in their field. And, of course, it will take you some time to learn who the best talent is and where they can be found. But, by working with a hiring expert for your technical roles, you can gain instant access to large candidate networks.
The first few months in a start-up can feel like a race; absolutely everything has to be achieved as quickly as possible. By partnering with the right experts, you give yourself a head start, setting you on the right path for long-term success.
Choosing who to entrust with your business is a huge decision, that no business leader takes lightly. By selecting the right partners at this early stage, you are building strong foundations for your future organisation.
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