Manpreet Kaur’s Post

Let's talk about something that keeps startup founders up at night - bad hires. We all know hiring is tough, especially for startups. But here's the kicker: a bad hire can cost you way more than you think. Sure, there's the obvious stuff - wasted recruitment costs, and time spent onboarding someone who doesn't work out. But, think about your team morale tanking. Your carefully crafted culture taking a hit. And let's not forget the long-term fallout. Delayed product launches. Missed opportunities. Here's the real talk: a bad hire isn't just a setback, It can be game over. So what's the move? Take your time. Don't just hire for skills - hire for fit. Get creative with your vetting process. Maybe try a trial period or a project-based assessment. Consider hiring global contract-based engineers, it will help you scale and iterate fast with much less cost. Remember, it's not just about filling a seat. It's about finding someone who'll help you build your vision. What's your secret sauce for making great hires? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

When founders tell me: “I need a candidate who’s passionate about our product & mission.” This is how I reply: Sure, I can find people who are excited about your company. But expecting them to be as passionate as you is a losing battle. 90% of businesses are born out of PAIN. And in most cases, that pain is personal. A Founder’s passion comes from finding a solution and surviving the relentless ups and downs of building a startup. And no matter what, you'll never replicate that. Stop using passion as an interview metric. Instead, look for Finance Leaders who are: > Strategic thinkers. > Resourceful. > Adaptable. Make sure they also have a growth mindset AND the right technical skills.   Then, create a culture that’s collaborative, inclusive, and value-aligned. Your passion motivated you at the start because you're the Founder. But other leaders need other driving forces. If you do things right, you'll make a great hire, and their passion will naturally grow over time.

In over a decade of building companies, I've noticed an important hiring trend: too many founders overlook culture fit in their hiring processes. Here's why culture fit matters: In startups, we routinely prioritize credentials, skills, and experience over shared motivations. This approach often backfires. A brilliant jerk destroys momentum, while a team player lifts others. Many founders fixate on hiring "rockstars" - genius developers and growth hackers. But all-stars often chase personal glory vs chasing championship rings. My advice: 1. Define your core values early and revisit them often - these form your cultural cornerstones. 2. Seek "referees," not just prodigies. Passion, reliability, and team-first attitudes drive success more than brilliance. 3. Ask values-based questions and dig for stories revealing true character. 4. Structure trial periods around collaborative tests to observe cultural fit. Shared motivations matter far more than skills in startup team building. How one delivers should outweigh what they deliver.

Strategic Hiring - How Startups Can Grow Smarter, Not Just Faster Maximize growth by adopting a flexible hiring strategy tailored to your startup's immediate needs and next milestones—avoid the one-size-fits-all trap. Here's how to apply this strategy effectively: Key Strategies: 🚀 Adapt Roles for Growth: As your startup evolves, so should your roles. Plan for changes and phase-outs to keep pace with your business's trajectory. 💡 Cultivate a Dynamic Culture: Embrace change, fostering a team ready to pivot and adapt as necessary. 🎯 Focus on Milestones: Define success for each growth stage and let this inform your hiring decisions. 🔍 Value Versatility: Prioritize candidates with transferable skills—those curious and eager to learn can grow with your business. 🔄 Embrace Flexibility in Hiring: Temporary, fractional or contract roles can offer the agility your startup needs during key growth phases. 📈 Plan for the Future: Continuously align your team structure with your goals and market needs. Remember, not all hires are for the long haul. 🌱 Grow Talent Internally: Promoting from within can fill new roles efficiently, encouraging loyalty and development. I'm a firm believer in the right tool for the job. Do you think this approach adds or detracts from a great team and solid culture? 🗨 Book a call://https://lnkd.in/emqAkVq2 👀 Check us out at https://lnkd.in/ebXCWuae

Your start ups growing and you are ready to hire! A super exciting time and the next chapter for your business. 🎉 But do you know who to hire? Do you have a hiring plan in place? Here's why it's so important to get these first hires right: - Company Culture: Initial employees shape the company's culture, influencing norms and values. - Innovation and Creativity: They drive creative processes, setting the startup apart. - Growth Trajectory: Early hires impact key decisions affecting growth. - Brand Building: Early recruits represent the startup to customers and investors. - Scalability: They implement processes that support future growth. - Investor Perception: Quality early hires inspire investor confidence. - Knowledge Transfer: Early hires mentor new team members, ensuring quality. Anything that I missed. My next post covers who to hire first. Make sure to check it out :) #StartupSuccess #EarlyRecruits #CompanyCulture #Innovation #Growth

The other day, I read a post saying founders shouldn't expect their team members to care about the company as much as they do. Honestly? I call BS on that. Sure, no one will ever match the founder's passion — that's just reality. But the people you hire should be just as committed and believe in the vision. It's all about leadership. Great founders inspire and motivate their teams to care deeply about the mission. When people feel valued and see their impact, they go beyond the 9-5 grind. In early-stage startups and small companies, this is crucial. Your core team should be battle-ready, people you'd go to war with. Would you fight alongside someone who doesn't care as much as you? Hiring has been my toughest challenge since starting REPLUG - App Marketing Experts (accounting nightmares aside). I've made plenty of mistakes, especially by prioritizing skills over motivation and attitude. So much so, that we added someone external to help us! Skills can be taught. Motivation and attitude? Not so much.

23% of startups fail because they don't have the right team. As someone who's worked closely with founders and leadership teams in scaling eCommerce and marketing agencies, I've seen first-hand the power of having 'the right team'. A team with the... → wrong skills → bad culture fit → low commitment level will stop growth in its tracks, no matter how great the idea. Startups are about speed and agility, but that doesn’t mean rushing through hiring. Investing in a structured, thoughtful recruitment process can be a game-changer for your company. Getting the right team is non-negotiable as: → They drive innovation and keep up with the demands of a fast-paced environment → They bring diverse skill sets that can cover all business needs effectively → They cultivate a resilient culture that can handle inevitable challenges It's not just about hiring more people; it's about hiring the right people who are aligned with your vision and values. Need help building the right team for you? Get in touch!

5 hiring lessons every founder should hear — from someone who made them. When I launched my first company, I made a lot of mistakes. Hiring was one of the biggest. Don't get me wrong, we made some great hires but there are definitely things I'd do differently. Here are a few of my key lessons: #1 Clarity matters more than speed ⏳ When you’re growing fast, it’s easy to rush into a hire. But rushing creates more problems than it solves. I found when we took time to nail down exactly what we needed, we hired people who could handle the role and actually stay with us. #2 Hire for tomorrow, not just today 📈 Early on, I hired people who fit our current needs. Then six months later, we’d outgrown the role — and sometimes, the person. Now, I look for people who can grow with the business, not just meet today’s challenges. #3 Attitude beats raw skills every time 💪 Give me someone with a “figure it out” mindset any day. People who can think ahead, spot problems before they arise, and actually bring solutions. Skills can be taught, but attitude can’t. #4 Startups need people who can handle a little chaos 🤯 Growth means change, constantly. Those who’ve been through startup life get it. They’re used to figuring things out as they go, without needing a clear road map. #5 Trust your gut, but always check references ☎️ Your instincts matter, but back them up. If an ex-manager says, “I’d hire them again in a heartbeat,” you’ve probably got a solid fit. No one gets hires perfect every time. But when you focus on long-term fit and people who can grow with you, the team becomes stronger, and the journey gets smoother. At Second Talent we source & vet top remote talent for fast growing businesses around the world. Subscription based solutions that make all of these challenges ⤴ a little easier. Second Talent 🔸🔹

As an HR professional who founded a tech company, I started with culture and teams, not just product and market fit. Which is the complete opposite of the tech start-up playbook. While other founders focus solely on product features and the tech stack, I consider the entire organizational structure—from early stage to scale—not because I'm overplanning but because I live and breathe this stuff. I've been in start-ups that have gotten this wrong and try to correct millions of VC dollars in. It's always a tall order. Culture isn't something you "add" at 50 employees. It's in every early decision - from how you write your first job post to where you place your first senior hire. #StartupLife #PeopleFirst #Leadership #CompanyCulture

Read that again slowly. What is a company if not the people you hire? It's a simple truth that often gets overlooked in the hustle of business strategy and financial projections. But let's break it down: I've seen firsthand how the right team can turn a struggling startup into a thriving enterprise. Conversely, I've witnessed brilliant ideas fail due to poor hiring choices. Think about it: • Your product? People create it. • Your customer service? People deliver it. • Your company culture? People embody it. Whether you're: 🏉 Coaching a rugby team 💼 Managing a high-performance office 💻 Leading a tech startup The formula remains the same: success hinges on the individuals you bring on board. So, how can we prioritize this crucial aspect of business? 1. Define your values clearly 2. Hire for cultural fit as much as skills 3. Invest in continuous development 4. Foster an environment where talent thrives Remember, a company is only as strong as its weakest link. Make every hire count. What's your experience? Have you seen the impact of great (or not-so-great) hiring decisions? #TeamBuilding #HiringStrategy #BusinessSuccess #LeadershipLessons #TalentAcquisition