Entrepreneurship 101: Recruiting and Building Your A-team

Margo Crawfordbusiness sherpa


business sherpa group trusted. capable. results-driven

Entrepreneurship 101 Recruitment and Building Your A-team


Introduction

GOALS

WHY effective recruitment is critical

WHEN to recruit using a comprehensive plan

HOW to execute an effective recruitment campaign


Background

Business Sherpa   Virtual VP of HR supporting start-ups, early-stage

companies and social venture enterprises   25+ years of HR experience (10+ years in start-ups)   HR Professional of the Year Ottawa 2006

  Co-founder of Meriton Networks (optical networking start-up) from formation to sale 8 years later

  Supporting start-ups in Toronto and Ottawa over past 2.5 years as Business Sherpa


WHY Effective Recruitment is Critical

Money:   Always limited   Over-filling the ranks or hiring poorly will consume your cash

quickly

Geographic Challenges:   Where you form may not be where your ‘talent’ lives   Customers will impact who and where you recruit for some roles

Market Window Timing:   Don’t get multiple shots at hitting the market at the right time –

anticipating vs. reacting even more critical   Miss-hiring and losing time can be a devastating blow vs. an

annoying inconvenience


KEY to Effective Recruitment

Recruitment Mantra:

Plan well

Search creatively

Choose wisely


PLAN WELL - around key milestones = precision hiring

Ready Aim Hire

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Recruitment Milestones

CEO

R&D Lead

CFO (P/T?)

PLM

Sr. R&D

Marcomms

Int./Jr. R&D

BD/Sales

QA

SE’s Sales

(Hunter) Sales

(Farmer)

CTO

Sales Support

Customer Support

HR (P/T?)

VP Sales

VP Marketing

Admin. Support CFO

(F/T) Accountant COO?

HR (F/T?)


Key Observations About Recruitment Milestones

Ready Aim Hire

Recruitment Milestones

CEO

R&D Lead

CFO (P/T?)

PLM

Sr. R&D

Marcomms

Int./Jr. R&D

BD/Sales

QA

SE’s Sales

(Hunter) Sales

(Farmer)

CTO

Sales Support

Customer Support

HR (P/T?)

VP Sales

VP Marketing

Admin. Support CFO

(F/T) Accountant COO?

HR (F/T?)

Identify Pillar Hires   Key to success, but timing may differ depending on budget, sector,

market, technology, customers, etc.

Consider Timing   Recruitment can take from 1 – 3 months; plan accordingly

VP-level Not Necessarily First Hire   Consider what must get done – do you need a ‘doer’ or a ‘builder’?


Ready Aim Hire

Tight Execution is Key

Recruitment Need

Need arises

Posting Created

Phone Screening

Job Posted Interviews Scheduled

Resumes Screened or Forwarded

References

Job Offered

Candidate Hired

Ongoing Business

Position Filled

Ongoing Business

Reactive Recruitment is not Effective


Ready Aim Hire

Tight Execution is Key

Ongoing Business

Recruitment Plan

Market Knowledge

Focus in on a tight plan in the context of a big picture


Job Descrip,on

Ready Aim Hire

Excellent Recruitment Begins and Ends with an Excellent Description

  Provides clarity around what you need   Becomes an essential filter for automated and

manual search mechanisms   A guidepost to keep selection on track


Features of Excellent Job Description

  Clearly articulates ‘table steaks’ skills   Paints a real picture of the ideal candidate – know what success

looks like and describe it   Sells the opportunity through role, technology, industry, etc.   Has a deadline to match recruitment plan

Ready Aim Hire


Ready Aim Hire


High Credibility Sourcing

Low Credibility Sourcing

Trusted Individual Endorsement

Executive Search

Employee Word of Mouth

Employee Referral Program

Social Networking Recommendations

Head Hunters

Internal HR

Job Board

High Cost Process

Low Cost Process

Ready Aim Hire

SOURCING: Finding Talent – time & $$$

Spending more $$$ does not necessarily reduce

time nor improve results.


Job Descrip,on

POST

Website (maybe?)

Job Boards

Paper

Engage Recruiters

Ready Aim Hire

Typical Approach: Only reaches individuals actively looking


SEARCH CREATIVELY – can be a strategic advantage:   With social networking – you can easily reach “passive”

candidates   Contemporary methods fundamentally change the game plan:

  FROM: Those that cost a lot and reach millions of candidates   TO: Those that cost little and reach targeted audiences

  User groups   Business/professional networks   Professional associations   Alumni associations   Etc.

  Print ads – very costly and have limited effectiveness   Web site – may or may not be an options (stealth vs. launched)   Word of mouth – ALWAYS USEFUL – employees, advisors, board,

investors, colleagues   Social networking tools are critical

Ready Aim Hire


Ready Aim Hire

Social Networking has completely changed the game…..   Previously company phone lists were a protected asset   Now – access to everyone   Problem is the clutter has multiplied

  One network can access millions   Everyone is a ‘friend’ and can recommend a candidate – with no way of

validating the quality of the reference

SO how do you find and reach your stars?


Ready Aim Hire

Best Professional Networking Tool

Pro’s   Access to millions of professionals in all industries, professions

and geographies   Career focused   Provides access to contacts useful beyond recruitment

Con’s   Access to millions of professionals in all industries, professions

and geographies   Unreliable filtering of quality candidates   Adoption just picking up in Canada – network is still light


Ready Aim Hire

Tips on effectively using Linked In   Post opportunities – about $150/posting   Push out to relevant user groups   Tweet it!!   Let your contacts know   Take every opportunity to build network in all geographies and

industries   Use search capabilities   Reach out to candidates – customized and personal   Leverage common contacts, or marquee roles/industries/

technology   When searching – think about other key hires you can fill   Update company’s profile – update key events


Ready Aim Hire

Google Ad Words

Pro’s   Can reach even further   Can bring candidates right to your career page   Can measure effectiveness of campaigns   Very cost effective

Con’s   Need to understand and learn how to develop solid campaigns


Ready Aim Hire

CHOOSE WISELY   Biggest failure in recruiting is to have one to choose

from   THIS IS NOT A CHOICE!!   Never stop at the front end of the process (filling the

funnel) until a candidate is hired   Do not be left in a default position of ‘settling’ on a

candidate

AIM FOR A CHOICE OF 3


Choosing is the biggest challenge of all!!

  Who YOU like the best may not be best for the company   Interview – a balance of asking and selling – hard to know what you

are seeing   Comparing candidates over a protracted process is difficult to do   Interviews easily drift off course   Interviewing is mentally exhausting   A tendency to like or dislike or suspect or make candidates

comfortable can take away from the evaluation process   A highly faulty process!!! Be aware of this and plan accordingly.

Ready Aim Hire


Mitigating the Risks:   Prepare questions based on the job description – ask questions that tell

you something   2nd round of interviews can be very telling

  Interview several candidates over a couple of days – keep it very tight   Know your biases and plan around this   Interview with someone else – so you can mentally rest and evaluate

during interview   Big believer in ‘testing’ – or putting candidate in-situ as much as possible   Finally – put your concerns on the table….in fact force yourself to find

some to put on the table

1st Interview: Company – asking Candidate -‐ selling

2nd Interview: Company – selling Candidate -‐ asking

Ready Aim Hire


Making an offer:   WAIT – check references first!! ALWAYS   Do your homework

  Understand where they are at/expectations   What can you pay   What is the ‘bundle’ you offer (salary, benefits, options, role,

opportunity, sector, technology) – this is the offer – not just $$$

  Provide verbal and written offers (make sure you have a solid employment contract) with a deadline to accept – so you can go back to other candidates

  Once offer is accepted – keep connected to the candidate until they are in the door and in seat

Ready Aim Hire


Best Recruiting Tips

PLAN WELL   know what you need to hire and when

SEARCH CREATIVELY   $$$ spent ≠ saved time or quality results   Use all the tools available – be creative

and aim to reach passive candidates CHOOSE WISELY

  Most effective recruitment has a clear job description, a tight execution plan, and results in choices at the end of the process


THANK YOU!

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