Building the Core Team for Your Startup
Staffing your startup company can be a make-or-break proposition. A tech startup needs to fill crucial roles before it can succeed. No matter how revolutionary your idea is, your company will not succeed unless you have the right staff.
firstPRO, a staffing expert, explains how you should find quality employees and staff your tech startup for the best chance at success.
The Roles Your Startup Needs
Each startup needs a balance between “thinkers” and “doers.” Every startup company is different, but they all rely on some combination of these roles to succeed. Staffing all of these positions can be challenging, but careful thought will lead to a better outcome for everyone.
The CEO
The first role that your startup needs is the CEO or the “dreamer.” This is the person who created the idea behind the business and leads all of the others with their singular vision. The CEO can lead and inspire others.
The CPO
The CPO or chief product officer of your new business knows the products better than anyone else. They will be able to pinpoint problems and describe different solutions.
The CPO supports the CEO by providing concrete facts and information. They can determine how the product works, and lead the team responsible for its creation. The CPO needs to have a laser focus on the company’s mission and show it a path toward success.
The CTO
The chief technical officer is responsible for the nuts and bolts of your new product. Hiring for this position is extremely important, as the success of your company depends on their skills.
CTOs are also known as innovation architects. They are the bridge to success from the development side. They are the driving force behind the startup company itself. Without the technical aspect, your startup will fail.
The CTO also hires more people in the technical team, filling in all of the gaps left by the other managers. They are also responsible for building the product and making sure that customers are satisfied.
The CSO
Your startup needs a CSO or chief sales officer. Your CSO will be in charge of turning your idea into profit. The CSO is in charge of building sales processes and automating them. They need to be able to hire sales reps and account managers.
Without the CSO, the startup will fail because it is not reaching its target audience. Hiring a CSO can be difficult because it is rare to find all of these skills embodied in one person. When you find a good CSO, hang onto them at all costs.
The CMO
The chief marketing officer makes sure that the product is in the public eye. This officer understands everything about the product and knows what sets it apart from the rest. Using this unique information, the CMO is able to create a marketing campaign that draws proper attention to the company. CMOs are also responsible for hiring more marketing staff.
Public Relations
The PR officer works closely with the CMO and helps to translate their core marketing ideas into reality. PR officers need to be able to exploit their personal and business networks to get the word out about your product. Making sure that this employee has the skills needed for your company will ensure your success.
Beyond Management
Now that your startup has its development team, you will be ready to hire more employees. Hiring employees can only happen once the company has secured financing. You will need to be conservative with how many people you hire at once, so you will need to make sure that the employees you are hiring will have the capability to wear many hats.
Technical Staff
When you are hiring your technical staff, a consultant like firstPRO can be a huge help. These consultants have contacts with hundreds of different people who can fill a variety of roles.
Your technical staff needs to be well-trained. Make sure that they are experienced or that they have the relevant college degree.
Office Staff
You will also need a dedicated office staffing pool to make sure that your company succeeds. Having office staff can take some of the daily responsibility off the managers’ hands and help keep the office running smoothly.
Human Resources
As your company grows, you will need a dedicated human resources professional. HR professionals can help you hire new employees and to manage the ones you already have. Compensation and benefits fall under the job description in HR. Human resources staff can make hiring and firing employees less of a personal decision. They can also work with staffing consultants to make sure that your company has all the personnel it needs to get the job done.
Meeting Staffing Challenges for Your Startup
As your startup grows into a full-fledged company, you will need to fill these roles and others. Recruiting your core team is the most important, but support personnel is needed as well. firstPRO can help a startup company move past the days of working in someone’s garage and help the company become successful.