Work Environment Shaping Depends Primarily on the Initial Employees Recruited
Building a solid company culture is similar to shaping wet clay instead of chiseling hardened stone. It's crucial to establish the right culture during your initial 10 hires, as opposed to trying to mend a established one later on.
To achieve this, you need to understand that the people are the key building blocks, not the culture itself. If you want a culture that stands the test of time and growth, your first ten hires must be assessed based on:
- Values - core beliefs that guide decision-making with colleagues, partners, and customers.
- Growth potential - the candidate's ability to learn and grow within the company.
- Skills/experience - the candidate's ability to perform the role or ability to quickly learn the necessary skills.
These priorities should be taken in order, contrary to what most startups do. Mike Laven, CEO of Currency Cloud, offers valuable insights on this topic:
"My first company had a former professional basketball player on the board, who told me something I've never forgotten. 'Everyone wants to win, so go after people who want to practice.'"
8 Principles to Follow When Hiring Your First 10
#1. Aim for a diverse range of perspectives in your hiring process. Avoid the trap of "meritocracy," which can result in a lack of diversity and a team full of clones.
#2. Adopt an iterative approach during the culture-building process by getting early and regular feedback from your employees. This helps avoid creating a "cookie-cutter culture."
#3. Diversity of thought results in better products and improved business performance.
#4. Alignment on a mission is important, but differing opinions enriches your company culture.
#5. If your existing pool of candidates is not diverse, don't rely solely on employee referrals.
#6. Look for candidates in unconventional places to ensure authentic inclusion.
#7. Consider how representative your team is compared to your customer base. Would a client or customer feel comfortable working alongside your team?
#8. Strive for hires that add to your culture rather than simply fitting in.
After hiring, focus on fostering inclusive environments with diverse thinkers to set the stage for your next culture milestone - promotions. Remember, it's the people that define your culture, not perks like Nerf guns, bean bags, or Friday beer o'clock. Collaborate with your first ten employees to reach a common set of values that is both diverse and representative.
Diversity and inclusion aren't optional extras; they are core components of a successful startup. Structure your hiring practices, use inclusive language, and create opportunities for diverse voices to ensure your company culture stands out from the crowd.
- To ensure the longevity and growth of a startup's culture, it's essential to aim for a diverse range of perspectives during the hiring process, steering clear of a "meritocracy" that might lead to a lack of diversity.
- To build a culture that resonates with different voices, adopt an iterative approach, seeking early and regular feedback from employees to avoid creating a "cookie-cutter culture".
- Diversity of thought is valuable, as it fosters the creation of better products and enhances overall business performance.
- Even though alignment on a mission is important, differing opinions enrich the company culture and make it more vibrant.
- If the current candidate pool is not diverse, do not solely rely on employee referrals but expand the search to unique sources.
- Look for candidates in unconventional places to ensure authentic inclusion and a truly diverse team.
- Consider the representation of your team compared to your customer base. Strive to create an environment where a client or customer would feel comfortable being part of the team.
- When hiring, aim to bring in individuals who add to the culture rather than simply fitting in, setting the stage for future promotions and the next culture milestones.
