I was experimenting with growing a startup.
Time was scarce and I cared about using it efficiently.
I knew I built something useful. It was simply a matter of connecting with the right people.
I wanted to hire some people to help with sales... but I didn’t want to read through wordy resumes.
The most efficient solution ever? Wait for it...
I asked people to ask me 10 questions about the opportunity.
If they were great questions, I answered, and then awaited for another set of 10.
If not, I politely thanked the person for taking time to ask questions.
What type of results did I get?
Ok, I confess... there was another piece of the story I left out.
I didn’t say how to contact me or the name of the startup.
All I said was my first and last name.
A quick Google search would have revealed the startup I was working on at the time.
The results? The conversion ratio between who saw the ad and how many questions I received was about 100 to 1. Out of every 100 people who saw the ad, 1 person responded.
The questions I received were all over the map. Usually it was a mix of personal questions and startup-related questions.
Why this strategy?
5 reasons:
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To find someone who is resourceful.
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To see what was important to the candidate.
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To learn how someone communicates by seeing what kind of questions they ask.
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To understand how in-depth someone does research.
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To not have someone say, but instead, act out what I’m looking for.
Ok, what’s the deeper why?
Simple: proactive versus reactive.
Reading through resumes takes too much time.
And time for a startup is the most valuable asset.
I could share the position with friends and through social networks, too, to help with quality.
I don’t want talkers. I want people who can do.
And this strategy helps me find people who are resourceful, creative, and ok with a new way of doing things... all things that I value in my team culture.
The 3 Startup Hiring Tips to Find The Best
Tip 1: Be proactive about hiring.
Here’s the process I used:
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Candidate sends 10 questions. If I like them, I respond and ask for 10 more. If not, I thank the person for their time.
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Repeat step #1 for a second set of questions.
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If they passed 2 rounds of 10 questions each, I schedule a phone call (or sometimes ask them 10 questions).
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Schedule another phone call or two, and then determine if it’s a match.
I never ask for the resume because the person I hire should be connected.
LinkedIn should be filled. I should be able to find everything I need easily online.
If someone isn’t up-to-par on social, they’re probably not a good match for a tech startup.
If someone has everything hidden due to privacy settings, then they’re probably not a good match for a startup where we need to be openly sharing and validating everything.
Tip 2: Hire those who understand startups.
Startups are a unique breed.
They are a game of momentum.
Notice, I did not say perfection, I said momentum.
Teams need to move quick.
People need to be ok with making mistakes for the sake of momentum.
Time matters because startups have a limited runway.
They are not stable entities. They are not proven.
The right candidate should understand the startup environment and be ok with moving fast.
Tip 3: Understand that you are limited by your awareness.
Leaders are limited by their level of awareness.
Because of this, everything should be seen as an opportunity to raise your awareness.
Being an effective CEO is about mastering your psychology.
What you cannot see in yourself you cannot accurately see in others.
It’s a game of optimizing self to create efficiency and effectiveness in everything that is done.
It’s about reducing friction and captivating people to help you execute on your vision.
Keep growing.
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