Weekday (YC W21)’s Post

Hiring challenges are real, especially in startups. When we were a team of 30-35, hiring and retaining the talent was a big challenge. Candidates were joining us, but only for a week and then suddenly leaving. I was struggling to find out why. After some digging, I discovered that many were feeling a bit negative after their initial interactions with a few team members. So, here’s what I did to change that… → I began meeting every new member personally. I spent time with them, shared my vision, letting them get to know me and my reasons of building my startup. This started creating a positive and energetic vibe right from the start. → Next, I paired them up with “positive” souls of Zypp. These were oldest team members known for their positive energy and approachability. I encouraged these buddies to spend break time with the new joiners, whether it was during smoke breaks, lunch, or coffee. Just being there for them, and ensuring they felt welcomed from day one, for at least 30 days ring fencing them with true positivity. And trust me, it worked like magic. Today, we are 1200+ strong. What strategies have you used to onboard new employees & improve team retention? Share your thoughts in the comments! #hiring #challenge #HR #startup #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #founder #vision #retention #talent

This is one of the most common problems while building a startup, where you get rejected by the employee for numerous reasons. We had a one-on-one conversation with people/employees and got to know, that they are ready to understand the vision and company's mission, but if they are putting in their 9 hours right away, is it getting noticed? Every employee is not looking for a startup hustle, many are looking for security, the more we go towards higher age groups for hiring, they have a family to feed, and they need assurance from the company which they can give to their family too. The concept of startups failing, unnecessary ESOPs, Stock holds, inflated CTC, and in-hand different payment terms, are all fears that are very common with every person looking to join a startup or a company. We created an environment - of personal discussion and understanding of the goals related to every employee's life, and what they are looking for, which not only solves such fears but also makes sure they have that 110% trust while working in DMS Designs - Branding Agency & Creative Consultancy

A Founders Hiring Reality In the early days of a start-up, hiring can be a real juggling act. At the surface level you have to master the balance across time, costs and quality. All equally crucial! ⏳ Time - With limited resources and likely no internal HR/Talent function, spending the time to write ads, read CVs and reject applicants at the basic level, can cause huge delays to your product progression. 💷 Cost - Most start-ups run a tight ship financially, every penny counts. Finding awesome early stage staff is one of your earliest and arguably most crucial investments. Either overpriced agency fees or overinflated salary can cause longer-term issues. 🌟 Quality - Cutting corners just isn't an option. You need skills that can contribute from day one and the right person that aligns with your culture and growth. Tricky pairing to find. At middle, we get it. Curious about how we've mastered all 3 of these with other start-ups? 👇 Let's connect and chat more! [Calendly link in comments] #TechHiring #Startups #Innovation

We lost a new client a few months ago because the candidate resigned after 10 working days post his joining and a few things went south in this case! 😓 📉 Read till the end and share your perspective. 👉 Candidate joined from a 10-year-old company to a less than 10-employee startup (seed-funded & pre-revenue) 👉 Candidate had to meet the investors 7000 km away with the founders but he fell sick just one night before 👉 International flight tickets, 5-star accommodation everything was booked but this can happen with anyone so it's okay 👉 Founders returned and the candidate recovered but he never called the founders. Genuine people call they don't text or email (period) 👉 It was his time to show some empathy but he didn't even know that he had no empathy and almost no professionalism ❌ The candidate and client mutually decided to part ways ❌ We lost a new client and they also had to justify the situation to their investors 💡Working in an early-stage startup is not easy and is not meant for everyone. Some top-funded startups have glamorized it but the huslte is real and not meant for everyone. 💪 🚀 🔥 #fintechjobs #fintechstories #hrstories #startups #startupjobs #hiring #recruitment

What do other startups do? Is a question we get asked a lot. When you’re an early-stage founder it is useful to chat through different approaches to a problem and understand what other startups do. Whether that is working practices, onboarding or salary allocation. While you don’t want to just blindly copy the wider market in everything you do it's helpful to consider your options with real-world examples of the tradeoffs involved. These types of conversations aren’t readily available until you start to build an internal recruitment team. But it's exactly why we started Talenty. If you’re a founder struggling to make the right choices around hiring and retention we should chat. #recruitment #startups #HR

The cost of replacing an employee is, on average, 1.5 times higher than the cost of training a new team member (GALLUP). By hiring someone new, you often increase your wage bill, and also incur the cost of training, onboarding and waiting for them to reach full productivity. This is additional time, resources and thus cost. Not to mention, the hidden costs of lost institutional knowledge, disruption to team dynamics, and the impact on company culture. Instead of constantly cycling through talent, why not focus on retention? Invest in your current team’s growth, development and make sure that you keep their wages up to market for their level. Not only will it save your startup cash in the long run, but it will also create a more engaged and motivated team. Doing so is a direct investment in the success of your business. #startup #founders #peopleops #scaleup #culture #peoplefirst #peoplestrategy

There are 3 secrets second-time founders know about hiring... That first-time founders don’t know... Here they are… 👇 → Second-time Founders: Never hire onsite if remote is an option. → First-time Founders: Limit hiring to within a 30-mile radius. → Second-time Founders: Value the power of diversity. → First-time Founders: Seek candidates similar to themselves. → Second-time Founders: Focus on pre-vetted talent to save time & money. → First-time Founders: Focus on the least expensive hiring options, losing time & money. You’re working so hard to make your startup successful. Learn from those who have been there already; make your founder’s life a bit easier. What other things do second-time founders do that first-time founders don't? #Hiring #RemoteWork #Startups #Entrepreneurship

Your idea is not just an idea anymore. It's a company and that company is starting to grow and bring on more hands. But what does that early hiring process look like with regard to compensation? Join us Thursday, August 8 at 10am PT / 1 pm ET for our next Mucker Growth session. Peter Walker, Carta's Head of Insights, will dig into how founders are compensating early startup employees in 2024. Peter will touch on salary, equity, bonuses, and how compensation changes depending on role and employee location. Registration link in the comments. #founders #startups #Entrepreneurship #hiring #compensation #employee #foundingteam

I became Co-Founder and CEO of a great boutique staffing agency at a young age. I was responsible for our IT and Clerical divisions. It was a Thursday, and we had a no-show for a receptionist at one of our clients. So, my lovely wife suited up and answered phones for this difficult client. That's right, I pimped my wife out. I justified this by stating that it was to keep a client happy. It was really to keep competition from creeping on. The staffing industry can be cut-throat and has an unhealthy competitive nature. That night at dinner with my wife, who was a great sport about this ordeal, I became self-aware of several things. 1. I was not proud of what I was doing and, more importantly, how I was doing it. 2. It was time for me to go, and I would fight like hell to take care of the employees who deserved it on my out. 3. I was not built for a lifestyle business. I am still trying to understand what that means. 4. I knew, at that moment, that I was built and wired for startups. 5. There is a big difference between a Talent Solutions Firm and a Staffing Firm, though both serve a purpose. 6. I would dedicate the rest of my life to startups and changing an antiquated industry. 7. NEVER PIMP OUT YOUR WIFE! I have done this for the last 15 years. I have built companies and HR TECH that do things differently in an antiquated and commoditized industry. Deploy Alloy will continue on this path, not only from a marketing and delivery perspective but also from a soul perspective. When things are done differently and for the right reason, you can feel it in your soul, and it is magical. #startups #hrtech #community #bethechange #talentsolutions #innovation #deploy

Dear HR Professionals, I have a question that many startups, especially in their early stages, might be curious about: What are some creative yet effective strategies you use to attract talented candidates while working within a tight budget? Do you lean on showcasing company culture, offering flexibility, or perhaps implementing innovative hiring methods like gamification or referral bonuses? How do you balance the challenge of limited resources with the need for exceptional talent? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences—let’s inspire startups to think outside the box! #HR #Startups #TalentAcquisition #HiringStrategies