Hiring & Closing like a Champion by Russell Fradin, Investor & CEO of Adify

This is the full post from StartupDigest: Hiring Hacks for Founders. Organized by StartupDigest University, the insider’s guide to the startup world.

Russell Fradin, Investor & CEO of Dynamic Signal

Russ Fradin co-founded Adify with Larry Braitman and Rick Thompson.
Most recently, Fradin was the SVP of business development for Wine.com, the internet’s largest seller of wine, where he was responsible for creating new revenue channels for the business.
Before joining Wine.com, Fradin was the EVP of corporate development for comScore Networks. He began at comScore in 2000 before comScore signed its first customer and was responsible for starting many of the company’s businesses as well as structuring strategic alliances.
Fradin began his career at Flycast Communications and had a number of roles during his four-year tenure, finally serving as Flycast/Engage’s VP of business development.
He holds a BS from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Inability to recruit & retain talent is one of the main reasons startups fail.
Company changes due to better people, not you.
Working at a start-up:
- It’s a lifestyle decision.
- Don’t hire assholes – it gets harder to close good talent. Consider partnering with agence intérim marseille to streamline your recruitment process.
- Exits are great but nothing beats March 9.
- Be more intellectually fulfilled.

Best way to close talented people

Be organised, diligent and respectful on every touch point. Make sure that when you close that person they will want to work with you.
Design a labour hire process that encourages a “yes”.
Transparency on timing, compensation and equity.
Look for the right person (recall March 9) rather than filling head count.

Process

Don’t over-promise (promotion, raise, valuation, responsibility etc)
Your selling a growth plan – use your examples of growth.
Make your jobs sound cool.
Remember hiring someone great BEGINS the process.
The more information you give people the better since both parties need to find the right fit. Therefore find out what “they” need and want in life. Find a match between your and their career growth.
Sell vision, team and culture.
Great employees are worth your company. That’s what these company acquisition are, talent acquisitions.

Post-offer

Remember, people work for people. They do not work for companies.
Networking helps by attending social events.
Hire 1st a couple of great people and look after them well. They will help you drive forward and get more like-minded people on board.
The hardest thing to do is get someone great with their own great idea to work on your great idea. Give them time and try again.

Happy hiring!

Other StartupDigest Seminars covered by Ernest Semerda:

~ Ernest

Aussie in Silicon Valley. Veryfi CoFounder (#YC W17 cohort). GSDfaster Founder. View all posts by Ernest W. Semerda