How To Build A Team That Won’t Destroy Your Startup

Building a successful startup team is a massive challenge, and one, unfortunately, that a lot of founders don’t overcome. Finding the right people to work towards your goals is a continual struggle and one that’s made more difficult when you don’t have the proper knowledge. 

We’re not just talking about direct employees, either. Contractors, builders, outsourced IT professionals, and accountants all play a vital role in ensuring that you’re a success. 

Can you guess the three most significant reasons for startup failure? In order, they are creating something with no market need, lack of cash, and hiring the wrong team. More than 23 percent of startups fail because they don’t have the people they need for the job. 

Take a look at these ways to build a team that won’t sink your startup. 

Hire The Right Personalities

Achieving harmony in an organization can be tough. Personalities can clash, and the stress of day-to-day work can lead tempers to fray and conflict to set in.

Ensuring that everyone in a startup gets along, however, should be a priority. 

You want a diverse group of talented people in your organization, but you also want those with the right traits. 

Where possible, use personality tests – something that more than 46 percent of employers currently do. Look for people who score high on agreeableness, especially those who don’t occupy management positions. 

Check For Certifications

Startups can’t always employ people outright. Often they have to rely on third-parties to render services at a low cost. Many entrepreneurs, however, make the mistake of failing to check whether these workers or organizations have the right certification. 

As a rule of thumb, it’s good to be just as critical of the people who work on your behalf outside of your first as you are of those on the payroll. Check industry bodies to ensure that you’re getting the people you need with the right skills. The AABC Commissioning Group, for instance, offers robust accreditation and a list of suppliers who’ve met the standards for certification. 

Use A Recruiter

The chances are that you don’t know a great deal about the business of recruiting. Sure, you understand your product and target market, but when it comes to finding people with the skills you need, you’re out of your depth. 

A recruiter helps enormously in this area. 

Recruiters might be expensive, but they save you money in the long run. The last thing you want is to hire somebody who isn’t up to the task, only to find out after six months that they’ve provided no value to your organization. 

If recruiters are too expensive for you right now, then use professional networks or even on-demand hiring platform that provide reviews. Your top priority is finding people who can deliver. 

Don’t Employ People Just Like You

Entrepreneurs (and companies in general for that matter) have a nasty habit of employing people who are just like them. This practice, however, leads to poor performance and a lack of synergy. 

Employing people who are all very similar to each other kills creativity. You want a mix of skills that you can bring together to offer effective solutions to your customers.

This is a contributed post.