Hiring Help, Please!

From small teams in my last post, to expansion and growth in this one … our growing pains are starting early.

We’ve yet to even hire new blood, but I am already fearful of the addition.

While we need some help to manage the increased load of vendor and bride interest around the product, I hesitate to mess with our little family, and the interviews we’ve had thus far aren’t helping to calm my anxieties.

I’ve hired before, but for startups and small teams the decision can be more challenging and what you’re looking for is a bit different. One person makes a greater impact on a team of five than on a large corporate environment of hundreds.

From our search for what should be a seemingly easy position to fill, I have come up with three tips for finding the perfect startup new hire. I’m not claiming to be THE expert. I’ve made my share of bad hiring decisions, but I’ve learned along the way.

Interviews at BrideRush are nothing like those I would have done in the past. They are not traditional in appearance, they are somewhat traditional in the qualities we are assessing.

1. Product Passion – An obvious check is: Has the candidate done his/her homework on your product or service? It is surprising how many don’t do this. But more than a working knowledge, the interviewee must show some type of passion for the role or the business. In our case, the right candidate doesn’t have to be obsessed with all things wedding, but he or she does have to see the potential and be excited about the service we are providing.

   Test this by asking a simple one word question, “Why?”  This is your business, your baby, so trust that you will know a wining answer when you hear it.

2. Affinity Toward Change – The right person isn’t just good at adapting to change, they thrive on it. Startups and small businesses are by nature always shifting, and if a team member fears or struggles with change, they will be miserable and less productive.

   Test this by creating change within the interview itself.  Be creative. I change up some aspect of what the position entails to see if the candidate catches this and asks for clarification. I also mix up who they will be interviewing with, and the order of the interview.  Basically, there is no set flow to the interview; it is every which way just like a typical day in our offices.  Bottom line: Observe how the candidate handles the unexpected.

3. Smile and Laugh – This one seems silly and perhaps irrelevant, but in our environment it is critical. We are a tight knit group and if someone doesn’t fit, it will only serve to disrupt the team output.

   Test this by asking a silly question to see if the candidate can relax. Spoiler alert for any future BrideRush candidates: We always ask, “dog or cat?” There is no right answer, but it is interesting to see reactions. Plus, we are one of those startups where our dogs visit the office, but don’t worry we speak meow, too.

Small Team Dynamic

I spent my Saturday night catching up on Bethany Ever After episodes while the hubster was glued to some new ghost something, blow-people-up game on Xbox. Yes, I know, I just described nearly 70 percent of the games out there. I suppose that is a clear indicator of my interest level in this exact game, which he went to three Redbox locations to find!

Just as so many moments in the last few months, I ended up being right where I needed to be last night. Between all the uncomfortable moments of Bethany and Jason arguing on their Bravo reality show, there were moments that re-invigorated me and helped me see the power of our small BrideRush team.

In one particular scene, the four members of Skinny Girl “headquarters” are meeting. The banter between the married couple reminded me very much of our own BrideRush meetings. Just like them, we are three women and one man, the man being my husband.

They even did a team “break” at the end of the meeting, but wait, we do that! Do you think they stole that from us? Pretty likely.

What struck me most, however, is how much they truly have to work together to get it all done, and how much you become a family with these people.

Even though both our “employees” have defined work roles, they both go above and beyond and are called upon to do the most random things. And in the midst of it all, we laugh a lot.

We are building a brand, so there is no time for normal workplace politics. I am thrilled to say we have a team in which each member is motivated and inspired.

The key to making your small team work: Set goals as a group, establish clear communication and HAVE FUN.