Hiring at an
Expansion-Stage Company
Hiring for a company at such a critical point
in its development can vary from hiring at a large corporation. Believe me its
really a tough task as I personally encountered many of below discussed
situations. Newly hired employees at an expansion-stage company can’t simply
blend in and be another number; the responsibility and visibility of their role
is much greater than that.
So what goes into hiring? Mainly it’s a process of
screening, scrutiny, and references….Is it ???
First
thing is Search: The recruiter(s) working on the role will map out
companies to target candidates from. Once a target list has been compiled of
companies of the same size, scale, and industry as the company they are
recruiting for, they will use various methods to contact candidates from the
target list. The job may or may not be posted to online job boards and if so,
inbound resumes will be considered as well.
Second is Screening:
Once an ideal candidate has been contacted and displays interest in the job at
hand, the screening process begins. Typically, screening will start with a
15-30 minute phone call with a recruiter or other HR professional. Soft skills
are assessed just as much as hard skills during this time. What is the
candidate’s phone presence like? Is he polite? How are the emails? Can s/he
answer questions clearly and concisely without too much rambling? Is s/he able
to explain why s/he left previous positions? Would s/he fit well into the
culture at this company?
After the
initial screening phase, usually a follow-up phone screen is set up with the
hiring manger of the role. During this screen, technical and role-specific
skill sets will be more actively assessed. The hiring manager will also be sure
to feel out whether this candidate would mesh well with the team. After all, culture
is highly important to the success of a start up or expansion-stage company.
Next is
the Interview: This is pretty straightforward. The hiring manager has
spoken with his superiors and is ready to give the candidate a true shot at
getting hired. At this point the candidate is on a good track, and as long as
she is true to how she described herself in the screening sessions and shows a
positive attitude and energy, she will most likely be asked for a final
interview.
Depending on the type of position, the hiring process
typically follows a 8:4:1 ratio:
#
of candidates screened / # of candidates interviewed / # of candidates hired/an
offer extended to
This is
great to keep in mind as both the candidate and the hiring manager. After
taking a look at eight candidates the recruiter has sent you decide to invite
four in to interview – and you’re on the right track!
A decision
has been made! But first – References: Sure, reaching out to the references
the candidate provided is all great and well, but will that truly provide
accurate insight a candidate’s past? I have found that back-door references are
very much the norm for hiring into expansion-stage companies. The management
team typically has a lot of connections; they can and will reach out to someone in their network who has worked at the
same company as the candidate to get the full scoop. It’s not meant be sneaky;
it’s to protect the sanctity of the hires for their company.
Last, but
not least is the Offer: All of the information initially disclosed from
the candidate regarding his or her compensation is taken into consideration. An
offer from an expansion-stage company is normally extremely fair and competitive.
I have recruited for Fortune 500 company in the past and based upon several
factors, the compensation package was at about the bare minimum they could
possibly afford. From my experience working with expansion-stage technology
companies, in this stage they are truly looking for top talent in order to
increase their value as a company, and will pay to do so.
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