Five Tips to Help You Find Your Next Great Hire

“It’s noisy out there, with many open roles,” says Bradstreet. “You need to help candidates understand why they should consider your company over all the other options.” Developing a brand narrative is a great way to go, he says. “Talking about your company’s history, values, milestones and strategic goals will help you build emotional and mental connections with prospective employees.”

Highlighting the people you’re in business with is another way to differentiate. “Your first data point should be who has invested in your business because it signals to candidates that you’re legitimate,” says Bradstreet. “Most candidates know that investors spend a great deal of time doing their due diligence before they’ll even consider providing a term sheet, because of course their goal is to drive significant returns.” If the investment firm has a good track record of exits, that lends credibility to your business. “Take advantage of that halo effect by highlighting it for candidates,” Bradstreet advises.

Calling attention to your board of directors can also give you a competitive edge. “Highlighting the people who make up your board, especially if they have significant achievements under their belt or are well known in their industry, is another way to show prospective employees that your company is backed by people who have a track record of success,” Bradstreet says, adding that top prospects want to know whether the company they’re considering has experienced leadership in place.

Another way to command attention: Share business stats. “Can you state how much your company has grown year over year? Can you say something like, ‘Our sales pipeline has tripled, or our customer base has doubled?’ Have you gotten press coverage? Have you raised a round?’ If so, highlight it,” Bradstreet says. “You want to get candidates excited about your company and show them it’s growing.”

Most job descriptions list routine job duties, but what really makes an impression, according to Bradstreet, is highlighting the non-recurring aspects of the job. “The more you can talk about strategic impact the better, because top candidates want to know their work will help push the business forward,” he says. “Be sure to define what success will look like, both qualitatively and quantitively. Put metrics in the infrastructure of the description and speak to the career ladder someone could have at your organization.”

“Be mindful of what you can buy and hire what you can afford,” cautions Bradstreet. “Be honest. If you want 10 things but can only afford eight, be prepared to compromise.” Bradstreet says it’s critical to consult the right compensation program index. “Companies like Pave Compensation and Carta Total Compensation are good benchmarking resources for early-stage companies.”

When it comes to recruiting, quality is better than quantity. “Oftentimes, companies want to post open roles wherever they’ll get the most applications, and they want to advertise the role across multiple job boards,” Bradstreet says. This is a mistake. “A handful of standouts are a lot better than hundreds of irrelevant resumes,” he says. Focus on the channel that will be the most effective by considering what you’re looking for specifically. “Are you hoping your candidate will have a degree from a certain school? If so, can you recruit through alumni, or by connecting with the dean? Internships or co-ops are a good way to build a talent network with local colleges and universities.” Bradstreet says that networking events hosted by local associations, such as BioCT, CT Manufacturing Association and ClimateHaven, are also good opportunities to scout for talent. Don’t be afraid to get creative. Do your investors, board or vendors have networks you can tap into?  What about your existing employees? For the latter, Bradstreet says to consider an employee referral bonus.

The best candidates have lots of choices, so remember that while you’re evaluating them, they’re also evaluating you. Make sure you’ve built the right steps into the recruiting process, that you communicate with everyone who is involved in the hiring decision, and that you plan out everything before you post the open role. For example, if you plan to hold video interviews, make sure you have a quiet room you can use, that your tech works, that you have good lighting and sound, and that your background is professional. Be on time and be prepared. “Candidates are taking everything in,” says Bradstreet. “They may be talking to another company whose process is faster and simpler. Are you efficient? Professional? Prepared? Respectful of their time? Every step in your process is a data point for candidates. Always be selling.”

If multiple hiring managers will be involved in the interviewing process and the hiring decision, Bradstreet advises developing rubrics and scorecards before the interview. “Decide what’s most important before you start talking with candidates, so that you’re all measuring the same thing,” he says, adding that it makes the decision process less stressful.

Once your offer has been accepted, you’re going to have to onboard the candidate, so be sure to consider what that process will look like, says Bradstreet. “What experience do you want that new hire to have? What guidance and tools will they need? Who will be mentoring them? What targets do they have to hit in the first 90 days? Think about how you will accelerate their impact and build that into the process,” he says. “You want their good impression of you to continue after they sign on. Help them understand that they made the right decision.”