Hiring Senior Talent in Scaling Organizations
When you think of a startup, you probably think of a game changing idea. Startups are built on great ideas, but they’re powered by people.
There’s lots of things on a wish list when it comes to the talent you need to get a tech startup off the ground. From the technical know-how to the passion needed to sell a great idea, there’s lots that different people bring to successfully take a company from ideation to exit. One key need startups have is for leaders that can take an idea on paper and turn it into a reality.
We sat down with Faye Laviolette, Director of Talent Acquisition at Harvest Builders, to discuss what it’s like to hire senior talent in scaling organizations.
The market today
Senior talent acquisition can be a challenge at the best of times, and today’s current climate after “the Great Resignation” is no different. “From an executive level perspective, the market in 2022 has been extremely hot, across all senior level hires,” Faye says. As companies rethink their working model when it comes to being remote, hybrid, or in office, there has been a direct impact on people’s desires to take on leadership roles. Still, the competition is fierce, and the senior talent needed to lead a startup can be hard to find.
The need for senior talent
Even with a great vision, startups need leaders that will drive strategy and create the road map for success. Senior leaders are needed across many different areas, but startups have a particular need for leaders in engineering and product functions, as well as in partnerships and business development. These are the roles most sought after, the ones that need the expertise of seasoned leaders, but can be tough to fill.
The challenge in hiring senior talent is that good talent is hard to come by. “It’s much more than just posting a position and having people apply,” Faye says. “It’s about thinking outside the box, looking at transferable skill sets, pulling from a variety of industries, understanding what candidates have done in the past and how that could work within tech and the startup space. As a recruiter, you need to have good intuition and truly understand the needs of your clients and what they’re seeking. Sometimes candidates don’t fit a certain “mold”, and you have to know what a candidate brings to the table and sell that to your client. Trust is key, and not only do you have to earn your client’s trust, the client also has to be willing to interview someone who is a little “outside of the box” because they have something worth pursuing.
How do you find these candidates? “You tune into your network, you map out the industry and the key people leading these functions, and you start a conversation!” Faye notes that most desirable executives are already gainfully employed, so it takes some enticing to convince them to take a risk and help build something. As good talent is not always actively searching, Faye and her team have to be flexible in the interview process, having a coffee or networking, even simply having a meet and greet. They discuss what a candidate is missing in their current role and what a startup might be able to offer that’s different. “No two startups are the same. Not every candidate is going to be a fit for every role. It’s a dating game for both sides, and it’s important to listen to what’s missing, what excites them and then think about what company would best suit them. Sometimes, it comes down to just making an introduction to a founder and letting them sell themselves and the company vision.”
Another factor in attracting senior talent is their appetite for a startup. “It’s a unique candidate that resonates with that world,” Faye says. “There’s less structure, which means that a person’s job description can change and they might wear multiple hats.” Market conditions play a role in the challenge. A cooling tech market has made everyone more cautious, and not everyone wants to take a chance if they’ve been enjoying security. Startups that are venture-backed are more likely to find success in wooing candidates. Not everyone can take the reduction in salary, but the upside of joining a startup is in the equity.
Above all, a culture fit is absolutely key. As Faye describes, talent assesses the opportunity to work for a startup based on the founders, their story, their passion, their previous successes and their vision. “If there is an alignment, there is a greater chance of a successful outcome. An understanding of the value proposition is essential to retaining top talent.”
What startups stand to gain
What is a senior leader in a startup? “They’re extremely hardworking, adaptable, and able to pivot at the drop of a hat,” Faye says. “The right talent will be able to coach and mentor as they lead people, and above all, be able to read a situation and react appropriately.” This comes down to understanding the business needs and knowing how to transfer that into tangible to-dos for their team, keeping the broader vision in mind.
When startups find this kind of talent, they find someone who can assess teams and their capabilities. They figure out how to fill in the gaps accordingly while considering size, complexity, and growth. Particularly in tech, these experienced leaders know what it takes to achieve success and find the best path forward in a short amount of time.
Interested in learning how to attract talent to your startup? We can help.
The opportunity for talent
“What’s attractive about executive roles in a startup is the prospect of working with people who push traditional boundaries, foster an environment that promotes creativity and lead by allowing others to have a seat at the table,” Faye says. Senior talent will have the chance to add value in various areas because in the beginning, it’s all hands on deck and the team is small. Above all, working in a startup environment sharpens many different skills — and with so much innovation happening in tech, those skills will be coveted across the industry.
With the right partnerships, the possibilities in the startup world are endless. Come see what’s possible.
Interested in seeing what opportunities are out there? Find out more here.
