Starting a company is difficult, to say the least. It can be extremely daunting to know that who you attract to your team is going to set the tone as you launch your business. When teams work well together, they can create excellent products or services, with a cohesion between members that facilitates open dialogue and creativity.
Unfortunately, when teams don’t work well together, the reverse — poor communication and stilted creativity — is also often true. As such, it is crucial to attract top talent to your team, people who will be the perfect fit for your company. To shed some light on how to do so, we asked members of Forbes Agency Council to share what steps they take — and what they offer — when seeking to attract valuable talent for their teams. Here’s what they said:
Members share few ways to find the team members you need.Photos courtesy of the individual members
1. Understand Yourself First, So You Know Who To Look For
It’s imperative that you first know who you are and how you want your company and brand to be perceived by others. Having a strong sense of self will help to attract like-minded individuals who share the same values and want the same successes from their work and for the clients. This creates a cohesive environment where people can be themselves and flourish independently and collaboratively. – Jerry Booth, Fresh Traffic Group
2. Define Your Purpose
Having a distinct purpose benefited us. There is a sharp focus on how the agency provides meaningfulness, not only for our clients and their customers, but also internally with our employees. The ability to communicate that part of the CEO’s criteria for success is based on gender equality, employee meaningfulness and CO2 neutrality has created that needed distinction. – Sebastian Jespersen, Vertic Inc.
3. Seek People With Good Potential, Not Just A Good Resume
Look for good potential, and not necessarily for a good-looking resume. Discover the potential by sending a screening questionnaire via a Google forms or Smartsheets. Add to the form questions that will help you understand things beyond the resume, such as personality, values, dreams, time management, etc. – Ally Spinu, USA Link System
Read more in Why Caring About Your Employees Matters More Than Engagement
4. Find Candidates Whose Drive Matches Your Needs
As the CEO of a startup, we have that challenge right now. We have rich benefits, like fully paid employee health insurance and unlimited PTO, but I think the biggest benefit is in the way we hire. We look to “match” the behaviors needed to be successful with who our candidates actually are and what drives them. By doing this, there is a daily benefit of job satisfaction and enjoyment. – Brian Handrigan, Advocado
5. Offer Flexibility, Focus And Influence
I would say flexibility, focus and influence. Have flexibility around working hours, doctor appointments and vacation time, etc. Have focus in regard to knowing what we do and what we don’t do, so that employees enjoy their work and don’t feel fragmented. Finally, influence over our process: Instead of a cog in a giant machine, I would (and still do) let my team speak into the way we do things. – Joe Ardeeser, Jordan Crown, LLC
