The 5 types of employees every startup should hire

Your staff is the backbone of a successful business, they say, and this couldn’t be truer. In the context in which socio-economic coordinates seem to influence enterprises’ profitability, finding suitable solutions to boost your revenue, especially as a startup, is highly important. For small startups, their ability to change and adapt to economic and market variables is mandatory, to succeed and thrive. This is where employees and their talents appear in the picture.

Due to this reason, there are some employee typologies that you should look forward to hiring in the recruitment process, even if they don’t necessarily have a vast experience in the field. Their personal qualities and attribute will contribute to building a more powerful and flexible type of enterprise, in the long run. So, instead of searching for educational qualifications in your candidates, make sure that they have their own quirks and particularities that will help your business grow. When searching for employees for your start-up business, make sure to search for the following typologies.

#1. The Self-Starter

If someone that previously had a business is applying for a position in your start-up, they might be just the perfect choice. Even if their businesses might have failed in the past, which depends on socio-economic variables and climates, they have enough initiative to start projects on their own. They are driven and passionate individuals that are not afraid of taking responsibility.

Besides, the fact that a previous business-owner is applying for a position with your company doesn’t necessarily mean that their businesses failed. For many, this is a new challenge they want to take and overcome. Also, changing career paths isn’t a weakness but a strength. Once they experience multiple jobs and positions, as well as industries, one might come to the conclusion that that true gift and talent lay in a completely different domain. Also, they will offer your company a solid infusion of notions and perspectives you wouldn’t have thought about.

#2. The Morale Booster

All start-ups that successfully survive in uncertain times and markets have something in common: an employee that successfully raises everybody’s morale and boosts their mood. Going through financial hardship as an enterprise can leave severely negative effects on employee morale. Having some bright spots of happiness and positive attitude in this climate will definitely help you motivate the rest of your staff. So, besides hiring exclusively rigid but highly knowledgeable employees, search for some that can lift up everybody’s spirits.

According to multiple studies, including a Gallup Research, only a bit over 30% of the US workers are engaged with their jobs. More than 50% of the respondents claimed that they’re not engaged, while more than 15% claimed that they are actively disengaged. Well, while engagement and morale are not synonyms, engagement can be achieved through a higher morale. If you integrate people that are able to boost everybody’s morale in your teams, you are more likely to keep them engaged and satisfied with their jobs.

#3. The Passion Chaser

When you read a candidate’s resume and you notice that they “downgraded” in their careers, you might want to look closer to what type of position they “downgraded”. For instance, when a candidate has switched jobs from a big corporation to volunteer at a non-profit organization, hire them without hesitation. They are passionate and dedicated to their values. They are the type of human resource that your start-up needs since they are able to successfully prioritize their passion above financial reward. Plus, they seem willing to bring a visible change in your company for the better. They want to matter and not be part of your many (or few) employees. Performance-wise, similar employees seem to be willing to put in more efforts into your team’s projects. While finding viable financing solutions for small businesses is certainly a thing that you must think of, you should do your best and hire passionate staff after you figure out your start-up’s finances.

#4. The Risk-Taker

Does your potential employee have experience in many countries or even different cities? Well, hire them as soon as possible. They are like a goldmine for your company. Risk takers can easily adapt to different circumstances and are more resilient than those who seek comfort and a steady position. People sometimes forget how difficult it can be to give up a comfortable life and starting again from nothing in a new location. These people are worth meeting and hiring if the opportunity appears. They are more likely to settle once they experienced everything worth on their agenda and make amazing long-term employees, although they are seen as unstable in the beginning.

#5. The Challenger

Employees that support management decisions 100% of the time are not particularly bad employees, but a similar attitude can hide some other issues. In some cases, these employees may be afraid to speak up their minds and make their opinions openly known. Challenging the status-quo or directions and projects that the company is considering is more likely to help you advance and develop your business.

Surrounding yourself with people that always agree with whatever idea you have can turn out to be a destructive decision at one point because truthfully speaking, you are unlikely to always have amazing ideas.

Instead, try to integrate into your team people that are able to challenge your ideas and constructively debate those. This is a healthy work environment that you should encourage and cultivate. Even if your feelings and ego might be hurt at first, it’s always great to have a reality check from time to time.

Besides finding reliable financing solutions, you should really start worrying about what type of employees you want to attract in your start-up. Certain typologies can help your enterprise remain flexible and easily adapt to market and socio-economic changes. Living and working surrounded by the types of individuals above will help you grow professionally and build a team that shows increased resilience and engagement throughout your journey.