My co-author Josh Scott and I recommend you dare to hire based on characteristics and train on tactics – emphasizing intangibles over functional skills as you plan for and develop your talent priorities. As you begin to strategically build your team with people, not jobs, we want to share insights on how you can determine the key characteristics that could contribute to alignment, momentum and ultimately long-term success. Startup founders need to determine which characteristics will be most important in differentiating and driving performance – now and in the future. Most importantly, these characteristics should ring true regardless of the role, function, level or tenure of a team member. Where should startups begin?
Leave Roles and Skills Off the Table
Think broadly about your team and what you need them to display day in and day out to give your startup the best chance for success. We find characteristics like intellectual curiosity, ownership and drive to be key differentiators across all disciplines and career stages.
Prioritize the List
There are a hundred things you could put on the list, but when assessing talent, you have to figure out what is most impactful for the company since it’s rare to find someone that will possess all of the characteristics and all the skills you need for a given role.
Clarify How These Qualities Will Manifest in an Individual’s Life and Career
As you recruit and evaluate potential team members, you’ll need to identify experiences or sources that are likely to correlate with individuals who possess the characteristics. Be creative and open-minded during the process. This is a unique opportunity to explore more diverse sources of talent. Because characteristics are inherent, you may discover and unlock new avenues or profiles that complement and enhance the existing makeup of your team.
Develop a Consistent Way to Evaluate
It’s important to develop a structured, focused and consistent method to evaluating each potential hire. It’ll be worth spending the time to build out a thoughtful line of questioning that helps you understand and gauge how a person has demonstrated these characteristics consistently and with tangible results.
Dare to Hire on Characteristics and Train on Tactics
If you find a person who has all the characteristics but has gaps on other dimensions, take a chance. Transforming inherent qualities is tough, while developing skills and expertise is achievable. Dedicating time and effort early in the life of your startup toward creating a people-focused team building approach will help you successfully navigate the complexities of recruiting, performance and development as your business evolves and grows. Read more about hiring practices here on Tech.Co
