Start up companies often grapple with hiring and retaining the right talent. Knowing certain personality types can ease the process.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in
The best thing about being a boss at your own company is that nobody can fire you. The worst thing is that you are solely accountable for your mistakes. These mistakes can range from not being a proactive leader to not securing adequate funding, but by far the biggest mistake than can affect you on a daily basis will be hiring the wrong people to work for you.
1. The punctual one. Some people are extremely punctual, arriving in time for the start of a new working day with a few minutes to spare. They are meticulous about managing their own schedules, because they respect time. “Businesses must encourage others to emulate their example,” says Viral Shah, who runs an online trading firm with 10 employees. “Encourage punctual people to take up managerial roles, because they are more organised and their finicky attitude about time ensures that projects are completed within schedule.” If your team has a person who always arrives on time and is profusely apologetic about being late, groom that person to handle project deadlines, to begin with.
2. The first in, last one out. These people can be a pain to others, because they are always in office –they are the first to arrive and the last to leave. This behaviour is a clear indication of commitment. Such personality types often stay committed as a matter of habit, even when they are not enjoying their work. These persons can be roped in to handle last-minute jobs or assist teams which are working against deadlines. Since they normally show up to work even before others have arrived, they can be entrusted with drawing up daily schedules, following up on the previous day’s backlog and setting appointments for the day. Companies might consider making these persons assistants to the bosses.
3. The team player. This person can always be relied on to pitch in with assistance, moral support or just a sense of humour when the going gets tough. “Such people are born leaders and their commitment to the company is very high,” explains Sara Chhajed, an HR professional. “They will even help out in projects that are not theirs, simply to get the work done faster with lesser hassle. They will actually ask for more work if they see that the rest of the team is struggling, and they do not try to hog the credit.” People displaying these qualities can be focussed, easy going, friendly and compassionate. “Bosses should groom them in a team-building capacity, because they often display team spirit,” Sara says. “They are valuable employees, even if they are not the most talented.”
4. The experienced mentor. Every team needs a senior to guide the office with his or her experience. Such a person is a key asset in a young, inexperienced team that may flounder without an experienced mentor. “I have helped set up at least 20 start-ups in the last year alone, and I always advise the management to hire one senior person as a manager,” says Ankit Mishra, who works exclusively with start-ups. “These persons are capable of taking a neutral look at a project and suggest corrective ways that can save the company a lot of valuable time and effort. However, they should be encouraged to engage with the team on a regular basis, instead of waiting to be asked for help,” Ankit adds.
5. The genial, all-skills-included one. This is the best type of person to hire, after the team player, because this person keeps the office environment light and friendly. This sort of personality is needed in a high-stress, high-work start-up environment, because they can plug in the gaps in the system whenever required; thus companies save resources which they would have spent on outsourcing external agencies to get the same work done. “One of my employees started working with us as an office boy, but I soon realised that he had a fair knowledge of computers,” recalls Viral. “Later, he learnt how to read balance sheets, and make and receive payments. Now he is my personal assistant.”
This type of person should also be enlisted to plan office outings and team bonding sessions, where their enthusiasm comes in handy.
(Pictures courtesy www.gomindmerge.com, theloyaltygroup.com. Images are used for representational purpose only)
