How to grow alongside your employees

Start-ups may have to go the extra mile to ensure their workforce stays engaged and productive

October 16, 2019 11:52 am | Updated 11:52 am IST

Photo used for representational purpose only

Photo used for representational purpose only

Every organisation has to have a streamlined process, and in the case of start-ups this process begins at the very beginning, so to speak — before anything else, it is all about bringing the right employees to work for the company. Often, the main reason behind the rise or downfall of any start-up may have to do with how this preliminary need is addressed.

So, the question is: How do you ensure a workforce that will not just get you out of the block, but also take your enterprise to the next level, quickly? In a small organisation, especially one that is just staring out, recruitment mistakes can prove costly. Recruiting for a start-up can be more challenging than for an established enterprise.

Search and match

Usually, start-ups enter with a brand-new idea, and finding hires with skill-sets necessary to work on such an idea can be a challenge. There are chances that the profiles searched for, are few in number. Some finesse in how the job profiles are searched for — with special key words — can help the start-up narrow the search down to candidates who match the requirements. List out your expectations, and carefully match them with the short-listed profiles.

Keep them engaged

After hiring the prime resources, ensure they stay engaged at work. Employees generally find it easier to leave a start-up than an established organisation. Because, start-ups grow alongside their employees. While employees learn about the start-up’s vision, the company too should figure out different ways of managing its employees and their concerns, which include their payroll, taxation and miscellaneous benefits.

Enable managers

Start-ups need to stick with diligent and skilled key-level managers, and to ensure they continue to be on board, they should be provided with independent responsibilities and authority. Enabled in this manner, these managers will be able to freely implement ideas and also bring consistency in the workplace.

Share the vision

As the start-up grows with more employees coming on board, ensuring they are all in line with the company’s vision can suddenly be a bigger challenge than before. That calls for a structured way of dealing with things. For example, a management portal that may educate employees about core values of the business should be established.

Modern and mature

The expansion of every small business should be wisely thought-out. It should strive to be a modern workplace, but it should also ensure that a mature outlook is built into this equation.

Keep it flexible

To ensure right communication from the top to the bottom and vice versa, ensure a level of hierarchical interdependency, where team leaders button up their work and thread the reports to their respective seniors. If the communication lines are well-maintained across the hierarchical structure, the tasks will be efficiently managed.

Value transparency

Transparency is achieved where leaders place their belief in their staff’s capabilities; and this means empowering employees to the point that they are privy to most job-related discussions. Transparency keeps information freely accessible.

Be seen online

Now that the journey has begun, and you have covered some ground, ensure that the “history of your work” is adequately available online. The milestones that you and your team have crossed should be out there for people to see. These days, prospective clients and investors get attracted only to a start-up that could show them what it has achieved. Digital marketing and social media presence can give an edge to a company. It is developed based on its work-history, challenges confronted in the market, tenacity, commitment, and a firm vision.

(Abhishek Negi is Chief Operating Officer & HR Head at Tagbin Innovators)

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