Hiring is stagnating in many start-ups. There is paralysis in finding the "right" candidate. From what I've seen there are a lot of great people out there but the management team has difficulty in determining realistic candidate criteria. Realistic is the operative word here. There are false assumptions about who will be successful and what the company needs to fill a particular hole in the organization. I've heard such needle-in-the-haystack requirements that companies are setting themselves up for failure before they even begin. In the meantime the company moves along without a key position being filled. I agree that you don't want to hire the wrong person because it can wreak havoc in the organization and it can be ugly trying to get them out. Overall a bad idea. However being too cautious means that it takes so long to find someone that the needed work doesn't get done or gets done by an already overworked employee. This does not help the company move forward nor does it do much for morale. In what I do I often talk with a lot of employees and I can't tell you how many today are truly overwhelmed by the amount of work and what is expected of them. Some are literally exhausted. A lot of founders think this is fine but first, they stand to gain more than the general employee and the employee knows it. Second it's arrogant to think that anyone should not see their families or even have a life so that you can see your dream come true. My guess is that once the economy improves your employees will be running for the door.
Back to hiring. Culture, passion and past accomplishments are what's important. Do they fit in the organization, do they share the vision and passion, have they performed well in the past and shown the ability to learn? I've seen many high profile candidates fail because they were being hired on pedigree rather than fit. I've seen CEOs hold out because of their own self-importance in getting what they consider a super star when the best person was right in front of them the whole time or even sitting in the office outside theirs. Feeding your ego is not as important as finding a talented and honest person who will do a great job. My advice is to truly understand what you need to be successful and your culture. For the most part it's really about the work rather than the name. And have the confidence to make an offer!
Back to hiring. Culture, passion and past accomplishments are what's important. Do they fit in the organization, do they share the vision and passion, have they performed well in the past and shown the ability to learn? I've seen many high profile candidates fail because they were being hired on pedigree rather than fit. I've seen CEOs hold out because of their own self-importance in getting what they consider a super star when the best person was right in front of them the whole time or even sitting in the office outside theirs. Feeding your ego is not as important as finding a talented and honest person who will do a great job. My advice is to truly understand what you need to be successful and your culture. For the most part it's really about the work rather than the name. And have the confidence to make an offer!
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