Today, companies are no longer directly competing for talent against competitors nor within their industry. While big brands, competitive salaries and great employee benefits used to make for an attractive proposition, today’s workforce values more than just perks and financial rewards and are finding it in start-ups. This article examines the characteristics of start-ups that make them attractive and suggests ways for established companies to incorporate these traits to recruit the best talent.
One of the attractive qualities of working in start-up companies is the potential for career advancement. Our recent global survey shows that an increasing number of company employees (28%) want to work with autonomy, which is common in start-ups.
Start-ups don’t have large teams, so their employees must complete any necessary task, regardless of job title. From performing a human resource function one day to assisting business development the next, start-ups teach employees the ins and outs of a company, increasing their value as a professional. On the other hand, large companies tend to have many teams, each specialising in a particular field, which provides fewer opportunities to gain a variety of experiences. This environment in which everyone can demonstrate their abilities in multiple fields provides excellent growth opportunities for building a career.
Start-ups, and entrepreneurs more broadly, embody the core principles of innovation to drive commercial outcomes. They embrace failure and risk taking and respond to challenges and opportunities with ease because of their agility. They see failure as a learning experience to improve a product or business and are constantly tweaking, pivoting and iterating their business models, design, product or service to fit their market and create customer value.
Innovation, by its very nature, involves risk and failure. In fact, many start-ups fail, yet failure is integral to the success of those that survive. In other words, the “failure” culture of start-ups is the driving force behind their innovation.
- Identify organisational skills gaps
- Build a model where employees embrace learning on the job and strive for self-improvement
- Invest in learning opportunities that are accessible to all
- Provide and support funding for personalised learning methods
Since start-ups are often run by a small team working closely together, their “culture” is typically a reflection of the founding team’s passions and personalities. In most situations, each individual working in a start-up contributes to the overall culture. Start-up culture is aimed at breaking down the barriers and hurdles of growth that more established corporations might have and is known for being creative, laid back and passion-driven.
In recent years, employees have become increasingly aware of the importance of differences between established companies and start-ups. Therefore, companies need to be quick to incorporate the best aspects of start-up culture in order to attract the best talent.
For a more comprehensive overview on how your organisation can take cues from start-ups to increase its Employee Value Proposition, read our e-guide ‘Act like a start-up and recruit the best talent.’
Lessons from start-ups on attracting the best talent
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