Investors want strong teams – get your HR right

February 13, 2012

“Finding people has never been easier; finding talent has never been harder.” Margo Crawford, Business Sherpa

Startups across the province are finding it increasingly difficult to find and keep talent. And in the eyes of investors, a strong team can be equally as important as the idea itself.

So what now?

Margo Crawford, founder of Business Sherpa, brought over 25 years of human resources experience and advice to last week’s Entrepreneurship 101 lecture on Recruiting.

Here are some of the things Margo had to say about effective recruitment for 2012:

  1. Plan your organization: effective planning can make you a better employer and save you money in the long run. For a detailed list of how to do this, have a look at Margo’s slide presentation below.

  2. Cash is king: startups will not grow larger than they have to. Every new hire must be the best decision for the money you are spending—hiring can get expensive quickly if not done right.
  3. Strategic talent sourcing: a couple of factors are putting pressure on finding successful candidates – loyalty is low and salary expectations are high. Start with an excellent job description to attract the right people. For help, check out: Recruitment and Selection Strategies: Five Hot Tips for Startups.

It’s important to begin thinking about HR early on in the startup process. Learn more about planning, integrating and executing your organization’s plan. Watch this Quick Hits video for highlights from Margo’s lecture:

http://vimeo.com/36561996

To watch the entire lecture, click here.

The MaRS Market Intelligence team recently published a report on how to obtain the best talent for your startup. Check it out here: Talent for Tech.

Resources:

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Next week’s lecture: Business Plans and Other Communication Tools