Secrets to building all star star_up team

1. Build a content following to expand your pipeline.

To begin your team-building efforts, you need to develop a pipeline of candidates. There are many ways to do this: through advertisements, word of mouth, job fairs and the like. However, there is one productive way to find candidates that is often overlooked: The development of a content following.

As we began to build Consero, we struggled to determine which resources would produce the most suitable prospects for hire. We tried various job boards and recruiters, and though we had some success, we spent a lot of time sifting through cover letters to find the people who were genuinely interested in our company. However, as we began to generate content relating to the substance of our programs and people began to read it, we saw spikes in applications with each new piece. Moreover, the applicants within those spikes seemed to be more attuned to the work of the company than other applicants, making our initial employment discussions with them more productive.

Developing substantive thought pieces takes time and effort. But if you start early and write the pieces with an eye to enticing not merely clients or press but candidates for hire, you may find that your content becomes your most valuable recruiting resource.

2. Seek adaptability.

An employment position at a startup is vastly different from a typical job in a number of ways. In my experience, candidates applying for ground-floor startup roles seem to understand most of the differences, including the need for independence and the importance of being able to stay focused while cash burns. Most of these individuals demonstrate some of the necessary startup character traits merely by opting into a partially defined role at a company with a limited financial runway. However, other critical characteristics can be harder to gauge -- and among the most important of these is adaptability.

Related: 6 Tips for Hiring at Your Small Business

One guarantee at any early-stage business is change. No matter how well your business plan is constructed or how smart your CEO is, you can be sure the company will end up looking different from what you originally envisioned. As a result, you absolutely must have a team that expects and is comfortable dealing with periodic changes of direction -- both small and large. Without people who are adaptable, you risk defections when the going gets tough -- precisely the time when a committed, focused team is most important.

In vetting candidates, it can be very difficult to determine their ability to adapt merely by asking. Rather, consider evaluating their composition by forcing them to adapt in the middle of an interview. One option is to change the interview plan once they arrive (e.g. by having them meet with someone who was not on the schedule). If you are testing software developers, give them a project and then change the constraints before they finish. When you announce these changes, watch their reactions closely. If they happily change course and head in the new direction, they may have the right mentality. If they express or even hint at feelings of frustration, cut them loose. They surely will not last when the changes are real.

3. Use referrals effectively.

Once you have found a candidate you like, it is time to get outside opinions. The natural course is to check references, or asking for feedback from prior employers. However, let’s face it: Many reference calls are a waste of time. Few intelligent candidates will list references who will say anything but good things, and even fewer references will eagerly throw former colleagues under the bus. This does not mean that reference calls can't give you what you need. To the contrary, conducted effectively, reference calls can be invaluable.