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Hiring entrepreneurial-minded talent helps to foster the same the culture of innovation that brings a company from idea to realization. As an HR leader looking to hire true self-starters—those who take initiative and are eager to see the impact of what they're building—I've seen these traits contribute to the successful scaling of their companies.
Candidates identify themselves with this work culture. Let's face it: no one wants to feel like a small fish in a big pond, where nothing they say or do matters. Part of the allure of working for a company still in its growth stages is that you can really influence the shaping of its trajectory. This environment encourages opportunities beyond a job description—for both the employee and the company, allowing the entrepreneurial spirit to spread throughout the organization.
New and growing organizations need to understand what scaling requires a diverse set of skills than the early stages of establishing a company from the ground up. There are four keys to success when taking a company to the next level.
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1. Let go of control
Filling positions at the next vertical level often requires external employment. How do we blend the historical knowledge within the company with the experience we're bringing in from the outside? The answer lies in the partnerships they leverage entrepreneurial mindset people bring to work – the initiative to challenge orthodoxies, test and experiment. Then, give them room to succeed. Not understanding a new methodology at first is not wrong.
My advice to new leaders is to get hired. We want individuals who are smarter than us to tell us how to improve functionalities like finance and sales. Use the expertise they developed elsewhere. Instilling an entrepreneurial mindset in our employees allows each role to add more value than we could have anticipated.
2. Be SMART about the strategy
Entrepreneurs need a strategic plan to be successful, but I've seen too many businesses that don't really know what they want. Success can come quickly, but it can failure. As an entrepreneur growing your company and hiring for new positions, your job is to set the “North Star”—the clear expectation of where you want to go and how to hire the right people to get there. This includes planning goals for the next five years and giving the people you hired the freedom to set goals for each of their departments with that North Star in mind.
One way to establish a strategic hiring plan is to use the SMART technique: Is it specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-oriented? If a company hired 100 people last year and would like to hire 200 to account for expansion this year, this goal would tick a lot of those boxes. Leaders in employment positions must work backwards from their business objectives to ensure they are employing the right people who can help the company achieve and execute that strategic plan.
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3. Listen more
Beyond just the HR team, managers and other leaders must agree to genuinely listen to employees' ideas and concerns. Turning a vision into reality is painstaking, involving honest conversations with stakeholders and learning to see through different lenses. Those of us in management positions we have to ask ourselves: Am I always shooting down people's ideas? Can I accept constructive criticism?
If not, many training programs are available to develop active listening skills. Furthermore, entrepreneurs need to collaborate with other entrepreneurs. So, find resource groups where entrepreneurs can share what worked for them or when they had to pivot. Finally, be as approachable as possible. Personally, I love it when people come into my office and leave laughing because I know they feel confident enough to speak their minds.
4. Mix creativity with data
In the age of AI, Creativity alone is not enough. Leveraging data to demonstrate why your hiring and employee initiatives are strategically and financially responsible is critical to the success of your scaling efforts. At the same time, it's easy to get so bogged down in data that it makes you risk averse, so use data to strengthen and validate your creative ideas, not stifle them.
Data is as much about identifying where you might need to pivot as it is about unpacking why a creative endeavor might go awry. Analyzing the data as employee influx, tenure, productivity, etc. It is essential to ensure that your hiring practices are optimal to foster the right company culture needed to scale and thrive. Where numbers can be improved, use this as a lesson or guide for the future. If your employee turnover isn't where you want it to be, figure out why, take the necessary steps to correct it, and move forward. Don't use words like “failure”. Ultimately, the art of analytics is blending creativity with decision-making in partnership with those who will be at the heart of your success.
To grow, hire free thinkers
I've seen the difference between scaling companies that manage the challenges of growth and those that miss the opportunity in their willingness to really listen to their employees and embrace change. Leaders need to feel comfortable with the teams that are part of their growth. Steve Jobs came up with the idea for the iPhone, but he was only as great as the people behind it.
Perhaps now more than ever, a growing number of workers are looking for an environment where they truly feel a sense of personal worth. Don't be afraid of the unknown; stay open to the craziest ideas. This shift in mindset is essential to driving innovation, driving growth and staying ahead of the curve. With this in mind, hiring the right people will keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive throughout the growing organization.