Hiring is one of the hardest things to do at start-ups, and without a strategy, it’s even more difficult. Once a company achieves some level of product-market fit, the founders’ roles shift from wearing multiple hats and being hands-on to three key areas:

1. Setting strategy
2. Getting the right people on the bus
3. Ensuring those people have the resources to achieve their goals, aligned with the overarching strategy.

Currently, it’s a great time to recruit the right talent because career prospects might not be as bright across the industry as they once were, and there’s a good chance that competitors are looking at retrenchment. But how should founders approach hiring? What’s the most efficient use of their time when hiring? How do founders create a talent funnel?

This article is about creating outbound opportunities for recruitment instead of relying on inbound recruitment channels.

Set the Strategy

Firstly, you need to set the hiring strategy. The strategy will determine the message you’re putting out to potential employees. Established brands need a consistent message and cannot rely on a “perceived brand.” Even if you know what you’re doing and why the work is important, outsiders won’t understand this unless you explicitly tell them.

To do this, create a simple elevator pitch that includes:

1. What you are doing and why it matters
2. Why you are doing it well
3. What’s challenging about the current phase of the business

The “what and why” should be short and sweet—think of it as a one-line pitch that explains why the company’s mission is important. The second element should include information about the traction you’ve generated, which generally isn’t externally visible. This supports the initial proposition: “We’re solving a big problem and, as a result, generating significant traction.”

The third element involves discussing the technical challenges you’re currently facing in the candidate’s area of expertise, turning them into the hero. This also gives them insight into the kinds of things you’re trying to accomplish. As John F. Kennedy said during the space race:
“We choose to go to the Moon… not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

People want challenges that sharpen their abilities and test their mettle. Demonstrating the technical hurdles your company faces is more compelling for candidates than highlighting the potential value of an equity grant.

Go to Market

Once you’ve set your hiring strategy, you need to go to market with it. Share your message with investors and aim to get it out whenever possible—in public presentations, with customers, and at industry events. A consistent message is critical. Without it, your message could get diluted when passed on.

Identify the nodes in your network. Ask about the people they look up to in the same space. It doesn’t matter if they’re looking to make a move at the moment. Either they or someone they know will be looking soon. This is likely more true now than at other times in the economic cycle. Continue following the nodes and have as many conversations as possible in your network.

Connect the Nodes

As you speak to people, continue connecting the nodes. Identify who is respected and capable. One interesting strategy I heard recently was from a consulting firm that asked all the interviewing graduates who they would recommend from their class. They used this information to triangulate the most capable and liked person, then approached the person with the most references. However, they eventually realized that the most popular person wasn’t necessarily the most capable for a given role.

The references should give you direction for your next set of conversations. Keep a record of the people you speak to and their intentions. Eventually, an opportunity will present itself.

Conclusion

Ensure you have a consistent message before you start sharing your open roles with your network. Develop an elevator pitch for candidates, telling them what you’re doing, why it’s important, why you’re doing it well, and what challenges you’re facing.

Don’t treat recruitment like a claw game, hoping to pluck the right candidate from LinkedIn. Instead, create a structured process where you speak to candidates who could either join your team or know others who could. Once people feel secure, they look for challenges. Let them know about the challenges you face and how they can help. Focus on outbound recruitment, and you’ll find like-minded people who can help carry your contributions forward, freeing you from the mercy of the claw.