Talent is king! Use the right method to develop your HR efforts

“Take care of people, products, and profits, in that order” Ben Horowitz (tech entrepreneur and co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz).

Human resources (HR) practices, whether at the inception or expansion stages, or even in medium and large businesses, are generally difficult to define and are certainly not similar in terms of scope, size, or strategic priorities. It is constantly necessary to improve, and to adopt sound HR practices to facilitate the operation of the company, so that employee management reflects the vision of the founder. So, growth is directly linked to the people who contribute to it and the development and retention of talent has a direct impact on sales, marketing, operations, strategy, and other business needs. Beyond developing operational skills, based on each person's roles, it is just as important to encourage leadership skills within your team, and to encourage the adoption of positive leadership habits (and behaviors) that will allow employees to contribute to your organization's growth goals.

Many early-stage businesses focus more on Product Market Fit, but if your business intends to grow, your HR infrastructure is a catalyst for growth.

We've summarized the lessons shared by HR experts through our programs to give you some tips that can help you build a strong leadership team and strengthen your company's recruiting capabilities. Whether you are in the process of designing your project, an early-stage startup looking to adapt its product to the market, or a larger growing company, you will find a few “tips” here. Do you want more?

4 tips for building a strong leadership team

1- Always seek to perfect and improve your team

Be both a fan and a critic of your employees. Often, the first employees of a startup are friends and may not be suited to the evolution, growth, and trajectory of what you are building. Put your ego aside and keep the best interests of the business in mind. Difficult conversations, while uncomfortable, are important steps toward growth. From a personal point of view, it reinforces the sense of leadership. From a business perspective, you're trying to find inefficiencies that could be barriers to growth. There are many scenarios that can be considered: you may find it beneficial to provide professional development opportunities for team members; you may find that a new hire with a more refined skill set is needed to take the next step; a current employee may need to be reoriented or phased out. Reflect on the vision of the business and ask yourself if the team is currently set up to chart this path.

2- Redefine management positions often

Hire for the future and use people with skills and knowledge that are current and not static. You are building a business with multiple verticals and you need talent to develop each of these areas. Always think about what you will need in the future and hire accordingly. Consider that leadership doesn't always mean hiring managers or senior managers. If you are strategic in your recruitment, by offering a professional work environment that encourages juniors to rise to the occasion, you can bring out future business leaders to fill the leadership and management positions that need to be filled. Be sensitive to what you see “on the ground” and ensure that positions reflect these needs to provide leadership.

3- Call on a Human Resources Director (HRD)

This top person will help you think about talent strategically. How do you build departments with quality department managers who can lead and motivate others? What is the right pace and the right way to hire and how will these hires be financed? What constitutes a competitive compensation and benefits package? How do you talk to outsiders about your culture? It's almost certain that you won't always have time to do this. When should you start investing in capacity building? By the time you need it, it's too late. Do it early, and be intentional. Your HR manager becomes the relational hub of your company to convey the needs of departments to potential candidates, but it also serves as an important channel for professional development and the evolution of culture throughout your business.

4- Hire for results, not for vision and innovation

The job description you need will typically include these keywords: “building in the moment and thinking about the future,” “developing rules and procedures,” “maintaining engagement through change and uncertainty,” and “embracing your culture.” Business leaders and founders need to think ahead to effectively hire “performers.” Why? The founder and managers of the company must also be executors. Whether it's your first non-executive hires or the expansion of an entire department, someone will need to train and/or develop your new hires. Leadership must first know how to execute and then be able to model these behaviors and mindsets. When evaluating candidates, it is important to analyze whether your candidates (or interviewees) know how to make decisions or if they are just relays. If you're evaluating potential candidates, here's how to recognize a decision maker: show clear steps toward a goal, offer measurable steps (or results), describe a realistic way to get there, take personal responsibility, and not be afraid to lead.

Four tips to strengthen your recruiting skills

1- Start with your employer value proposition (PVE)

The way candidates and employees perceive your business is not organic. It should be developed intentionally. You need this PVE to attract and retain talent, especially if you don't have a solid brand and are not yet well-known in your industry. The best question to ask yourself when considering opening your staff recruitment business is: “Why would anyone want to work at my company? ” You may have designed the best sales and investor stories on the planet, but that same thought process and reasoning should now be extended to your recruiting efforts. They have to be convincing.

2- Play the game, you are your own recruiter

Recruiting is a long-term job, but you will have opportunities in the short term. Write compelling and detailed job descriptions, define hiring criteria, learn how to conduct interviews, understand how the training and onboarding of this new hire will take place, and have a realistic salary range in mind before scheduling any follow-up. You need to know what recruiting is all about. Instill the same passion you have for your company's vision and mission in your job descriptions, interviews, and follow-ups; your future job candidates will take note of it. It's all connected. The smartest recruiters know where to find the gems in the community — use your networking skills to find events, groups, institutions where the perfect candidates will be. Go get them!

3- Set a recruitment budget and invest in talent acquisition

Recruiting costs time and money. It is an investment. If you only rely on colleagues and friends, you won't find a talent pool that's diverse enough or tailored to the particular skills and needs of the position you're hiring for. Consider these considerations when assessing your hiring needs — spend wisely and strategically. There are plenty of examples of well-funded businesses that hire poorly and inefficiently. One of the best things your business can have right now is the ability to do more with less. If you have a great network of people you can rely on, you may be able to get closer to your goals without spending too much. Investors will also pay close attention to how much you plan to spend on finding and acquiring talent. Be intentional. Be strategic. Be economical.

4- Set SMART goals

It's critical that all team members understand the role they play in a larger context than just their department. Having a clear idea of goals allows for better alignment and more transparency between functions and departments. It also gives a sense of belonging to your tribe (your team). In general, people know what they need to do, but they don't make the connection to the bigger picture. Goals create a sense of belonging and responsibility. SMART goals will be hard to achieve, but the process of achieving results creates memory and lessons along the way. Set rigorous SMART goals and align your hiring goals to build teams/departments that deliver value: revenue generation, customer satisfaction, and product/service development. Your teams will take up the challenge and be up to the event.