Giant tech companies today, usually serve as toast for potential tech Founders.
As organised and successful these tech companies appear today, they did not just develop from their seed stage to a big shot in the tech ecosystem in one day.
They all started small and grew it until they scaled.
The scaling, often times, involves lots of hard work committed into the venture.
For instance, two tech Co-Founders might, with innovative ideas, the development of a software application.
If eventually, the investment in the idea-turned-product starts to yield and the company expands in structure, it will soon, be requiring more hands to be on deck.
Expansion of the tech company, then, means, getting tech-like-minds into the business, such as, bringing in, minds that, possibly has more expertise, than the Co-Founders.
Bringing such people on board to form a very formidable team of tech experts, sounds a great development for your company’s growth, but at the point of taking this crucial decision, often times becomes a challenge!
Questions come up, such as; how do I know, if I am hiring the right person?
Can I build a great team from my hiring?
Below, is a list of some common mistakes that tech Founders make, that you should try to avoid when building your team:
Hiring Too Early: The hiring process is not only about Educational qualifications. You also need to consider, how your potential team members will fit into your company culture.
Are they hyper-competitive? Are they extremely laid back and will not make any impact in an environment, where they need to take their own initiatives?
All these, should be considered in the hiring process, to ensure that, you do not get caught in the qualification web, thus, ensuring that they properly fit in, then finding out barely months down the line, after engaging them, only to find out that they are not a good fit at all.
Hiring People Just Like You: This may appear unfavorable to your belief system, but it is not a good idea, to have all your employees agreeing with you.
Diversity of opinion and personality, benefits the team experience, in many ways than one.
Criticism is good, as long as, it gets presented in a constructive and respectful manner. Such acts can be extremely beneficial.
No company succeeds when everyone is always in agreement.
For example, a room full of optimists can lead to high expectations and a room full of pessimists can lead to excessive negativity.
A combination of personalities will ensure that you end up in consensus.
Focusing On One Skill Group: If you have a perfect product, but you do not have the expertise on how to sell it, then, you will get stuck in the way.
In building a team, you should not focus on a weakness in your product alone, when hiring, though you will always need developers to fix, or, improve your product.
If you have a perfect product, but no expertise on how to sell it, then, you are going nowhere.
Your team building is not complete without Marketers and Salespersons.
Not Letting Go: A huge challenge for most entrepreneurs and tech Founders is having, to relinquish some of their powers, or, positions, for the first time. This can be, very tough on them.
It is an awkward experience that the Founders do not like.
It can be a very tough decision, but if you truly think that, the person is not a good fit to make a great team, then, you should rather let them off, for a better option. It is necessary for the company and team building.
There is no point, in having an employee, who, either, is not suited for the job, or, not embracing the team spirit.
Featured Image: Cybus.io
