When you’re building your startup team it’s vital to remember that mindset really matters. After all, in such a dynamic and often challenging environment, things can change pretty quickly, so you’ll need to ensure your employees have a positive outlook and are able to handle any challenges that come their way. And one of the best ways to do this is by hiring employees who have a natural can-do attitude.
So why does your team need someone with a can-do attitude?
1 Their commitment and self-belief
People with a can-do attitude are filled with self-belief and conviction that they can achieve whatever is asked of them, by simply putting their mind to it. However, this isn’t simply overconfidence or optimism - it’s an innate openness and willingness to do whatever is necessary to get a task completed.
Even if they are faced with setbacks or barriers, they aren’t deterred. Instead, they’ll simply reevaluate and figure out how they can overcome them. They remain committed and focused on the task at hand and what the end goal is and will simply find a new way to reach that goal or achieve whatever is required.
2 Their proactivity
Employees with a can-do attitude will also tend to be much more proactive and curious. They won’t need constant direction and guidance before they undertake a task. They’ll find things out, use their initiative, plan ahead and won’t wait until a problem has arisen before thinking of a solution.
So whether they’re faced with a particularly demanding client or a process that isn’t going to plan because something unexpected has been thrown into the mix, they won’t be defeatist about it. Chances are they’ll have anticipated those potential challenges and created new solutions, thereby preventing them from becoming major issues.
3 They go above and beyond
People with a can-do attitude don’t simply rigidly adhere to the boundaries of their job description. They’re willing to help and support wherever they’re needed, if it means getting the job done. They tend to be naturally adaptable, they see the bigger picture and understand that they can make a positive impact by going beyond the remits of their role.
They also aren’t afraid to step out of their comfort zone and stretch themselves - in fact they rather enjoy it! They’re willing to take on challenges that others won’t. Whether that's solving a problem for a difficult client or taking on additional responsibilities to ensure a project is completed, they’re driven by the end result and will do what it takes to make it a success.
Of course whilst the skills and experience that your potential candidate has will be readily apparent from their CV, it won’t be until you interview them that you’ll be truly able to assess their attitude. The interview should give you some indication of whether or not they really have that must-have can-do attitude that will be so important in your startup.
Here are just a few of the questions that you could ask which should help…
Assess their commitment and self-belief
An employee with an inherent can-do attitude will be a huge asset to your startup, especially since things don’t always go to plan. They’re generally pretty resilient, have strong self-belief and are always focused on seeing things through and getting that all-important end result.
You can help assess this at the interview by asking them questions such as:
Have they ever dealt with a major obstacle when working on a task or project? How did they overcome it?
Can they give you an example of a time when the easy thing to do was give up, but they chose not to?
Have they ever worked on a project or task which others had abandoned or saw as too complex or challenging? What approach did they use and why did they believe that they could do it?
Have they ever taken on a task or a project that really daunted them? Why did they do it and what did they learn from it?
How do they stay motivated when problems arise? And if this happens in a team environment, do they try and motivate others?
By asking your candidates how they respond when faced with challenges and changes, you should get a little insight into how determined they are to see things through, come what may.
Determine their proactivity
Since things can change pretty quickly in the world of a startup, you’ll need your employees to show initiative and think ahead whenever possible. Ask your candidates questions like:
Can they describe a time when they acted proactively to solve a small problem before it became a major issue?
Have they ever viewed a potential problem as an opportunity? What did they do and what was the result?
Can they describe a time when they had to use their initiative? What happened and what was the outcome?
Have they ever initiated change in a process or project? Why did they do this and how was it implemented?
A candidate with a can-do attitude will always be thinking ahead and won’t simply react when a problem arises. Their responses to questions such as these should give you a pretty good insight into their proactivity - or lack thereof!
Going the extra mile
Whilst cross-functional working and collaboration can become a vital element of the workplace culture in a startup, you’ll still need people on your team who do this naturally. It should simply be a given. You could gauge this at the interview by asking potential candidates questions like:
Have they ever been in a situation where they were asked to do something beyond their capabilities? If so, how did they handle it?
Can they describe a time when they had to help a colleague or client, perhaps at their own inconvenience?
Have they ever had to take a risk and think out-of-the-box to address a work problem or challenge? What did they do and what was the result?
Have they ever exceeded a client’s expectations on a project? Why did they do this and what was the outcome?
If your candidate has a genuine can-do attitude, they’ll be able to give you lots of good examples of how they’ve gone the extra mile - and they generally won’t have had to be prompted to do so.
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Offering personalised, consultative service, at TableCrowd Talent we’re a specialist recruitment agency with our finger on the pulse of the startup and scaleup scene. We are committed to matching graduates, professionals and C-level executives to exciting startup and scaleup jobs across London, the UK and Europe.
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