The most important thing in the early days of a business is growth, so you can expect all your new team members to directly contribute to that expansion.
But what about the other crucial functions for your long-term effectiveness? Many businesses delay hiring key roles until they can no longer operate without them. This is not the best way forward.
In my experience there are three crucial roles that are most commonly overlooked, yet are essential to an organisation's success: · Data analyst
· Operations manager
· Recruiter
Reasons given for not hiring these people early on may seem valid: the companies didn't see a clear return on the investment, didn't feel a sense of urgency, or couldn't discover exceptional people quickly enough. However, they viewed these recruiting delays as significant errors in hindsight, and they repeatedly pushed me to strongly consider recruiting for these positions.
Why a data analyst?
With an analyst to harness the company's key data, every team can focus on their core knowledge and strengths.
Dashboards and reports promote openness throughout the organisation by ensuring that everyone knows how the company and individual teams are performing in terms of critical KPIs. They are also invaluable to anyone who needs the data. It's unfair to expect your employees to be data-driven unless you provide them with the tools to be so. Hiring a data analyst is the first step in that direction.
Why an operations manager?
Instead of spending time on day-to-day operations, as a leader you can concentrate on managing the company. I have discovered that you can recruit someone with little expertise if they are well organised, bright and with strong interpersonal skills. Any business, especially one in its early stages, should make sure they can afford this hire.
You're essentially filling five roles at once if you find the right person: human resources, office manager, finance, executive assistant and customer service.
Why a recruiter?
After product-market fit, the next most important thing for a business is to hire the best employees. Having an in-house recruiter is less expensive than dealing with agencies. They can assist you in developing hiring procedures and a robust referral engine.
TAKEAWAY: Of course, your recruitment objectives are influenced by a variety of factors, so it may not be ideal for you to recruit these roles right now. As soon as you are able, however, make these hires. You will not regret it!
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