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MenuWhat non-standard creative ways have been used for hiring at startups? I am trying to hire a software architect in the silicon valley and need ideas.
Have already tried 'standard' job posting sites.
Answers
Startup recruiting is really a full-contact sport that must be played to win by the Founder(s) of the Company. If you want to hire the best possible talent, you must be as focused on this task as you are a fundraising round (in other words, completely focused on it until it's DONE).
Great technical talent often has aversions to LinkedIn because of the sheer amount of inbound requests they get from recruiters. So although you shouldn't rely on it alone for making contact, it is still the best resource in finding potential talent. They give you such limited space to make your case in the introduction request so get the most compelling points about you, your company and why they should join you in the shortest possible amount of text and end with a call to action (Can I buy you lunch / coffee whatever).
Technical talent are far more likely to have multiple online presences so there's a better chance you can find their personal email address than recruiting other talent.
Be upfront as to your company's stage. If you have funding, make it clear that the position isn't subject to funding. If you are recruiting a cofounder, that should be made clear. In that case, focus especially on what makes you credible and attractive to partner with.
Happy to share more with you in a call about what I've learned in the process of hiring great talent.
Post a challenge with reward, although it's just a token prize but if the challenge is interesting (should be related to a problem you're facing now in the company so they can imagine what will the day-to-day work be), candidates will be attracted to it, not because of the prize but because they're intellectually stimulated.
Related Questions
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I have started a startup and don't have any experience in startups and putting in my own money, $250,000. How do I find the right technical people?
I think you will likely get many different answers to this question, but my personal believe is that if you are building a software-based business and you don't have experience and you don't already have the right connections, your best shot at success is going to be if you do all the technical work to start with. I would even recommend that if you have zero technical experience right now. You may read about other people that somehow start businesses without doing this, but either A) they are extremely lucky or B) they already have connections/experience/a network that they can rely on. It is going to be a slower process than you would like because you are going to have to get your hands dirty, but this is going to greatly increase your odds for success in the long run.JW
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Where is the best place to recruit Ruby developers?
If you're looking for Ruby folks, go where they go - local meetups. Second would be online but you will need to mine Stackoverflow, Github and similar sites and realize that they get approached regularly so start engaging early (at least 3 months before projected start date.)TJ
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Dealing with a disrespectful employee.
As the owner of your business, you should never feel threatened by the loss of an employee. Have a straightforward conversation with the employees to let them know that you are willing to take action if necessary. Work on assertive communication techniques that will help you hold the space. In my experience, some of the most challenging staff I have managed, have thrived after I have reset the expectations. As far as the threat of losing his, keep your feelers out for a possible replacement and start building the systems and processes you will need in place to train the replacement in the shortest amount of time. I work with entrepreneurs to build their businesses, address risk and strategy and work on leadership. I'd love to discuss this more with you and answer any questions you may have. Feel free to set up a call with me.LD
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I am a non-technical cofounder. Where are the best places to find and attract a technical cofounder?
I have advised a number of Clarity members on this question exactly. LinkedIn can be a great place to find your technical cofounder. I would look for someone who has been at their current company longer than 18 months and has relevant experience or interest in the problem you're looking to solve. Reaching-out "cold" can work, if you keep your message short and relevant. Here's what a technical cofounder will need to see in order to feel comfortable joining you: 1) That you can fund and/or have raised sufficient money to cover the expenses up to and past launching the first version of your product. 2) That - in their assessment - you have what it takes to raise multiple rounds of funding (if the business is reliant on VC) or that you have what it takes to successfully bootstrap the business. 3) That you are realistic or at least credible in your assessment of the opportunity and have done sufficient customer development to ensure there is a viable market for your product or service. 4) That you and the technical cofounder have sufficient personal chemistry so as to want to and be able to survive an incredibly stressful and emotionally intensive journey together. Happy to talk you through any of this in detail in a call and go into the specifics related to your location, background, and type of product or service you're looking to recruit a cofounder to.TW
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What 3 questions to pose to a developer, to gauge his expertise level?
If you're not technical yourself, then you might not be able to gauge the efficiency of a candidate's algorithms or critique her code. But there are still some higher-level, more behavioral things that a non-technical interviewer should be looking for in a strong development candidate: 1. What are some tech blogs that you follow? Explain an interesting article to me that you read from one of them. The software development world changes all the time. Best practices are constantly evolving and new libraries are regularly released which make developers more productive. If a candidate doesn't keep up with the latest software news, that might be a red flag that they're not curious or trying to improve themselves. Also, having them explain a technical concept to someone who's non-technical is a great way to gauge their communication skills. Do they seem like someone you could work with and understand easily? Do they care about pausing to make sure you understand, or do they just drone on with jargon? If you feel overwhelmed while they're explaining this answer, imagine how you'll feel when they're telling you why the product has bugs or isn't going to be done on schedule. 2. Tell me about a time you ran into a big roadblock with something you were building. How did you get past it? It's inevitable that a software developer will get tripped up or have to solve some Gordian Knot. Everyone has to bang their head against the wall from time to time. Maybe an API didn't have the data they needed or some function was running too slow and they weren't sure how to speed it up. You're looking to see how they are as a problem solver. Did they come up with a clever but hacky solution? Were they methodical or did they fly by the seat of their pants? Did they go back to the stakeholders and see if the feature's requirements were flexible? Did they work on it for hours and hours trying new things? Did they ask for help from colleagues or on the internet? No right or wrong answers here, but you want to get the sense that this isn't someone who throws up their hands when they hit some friction. 3. Tell me about your favorite project that you worked on. What work are you most proud of? By asking them about the project they're most proud of, you'll get to see what it is that they value most. Maybe one candidate is most proud of a side project they built, even if it wasn't that technically complex, while another candidate is proud of their esoteric PhD project or some specific algorithm they improved. Again, no right or wrong answers, it really depends what type of candidate you're looking for. But it lets you see into their mind a bit, and get at some of the aspects that can make someone a strong development candidate. If you want to talk more specifically about hiring for your team, I'd be happy to do a call!HB
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