When you’re recruiting for your startup, it’s vital to hire people who don’t just have the skills and experience that you need but to hire those who have particular personality traits too - like proactivity, for example. After all, whilst skills can be acquired and experience gained, proactivity is one of those characteristics that is simply part and parcel of who a person naturally is and it can be invaluable in a startup.
So why should you hire someone who is proactive?
1 They’re self-starters
People who are proactive in nature, generally tend to be self-starters too. They have a can-do attitude, use their initiative and simply get on with whatever needs to be done. They're not the type to constantly need direction and guidance and you won't have to oversee their every move - and in the world of a startup that's a huge plus.
If your startup is operating a hybrid working model at the moment, that’s even more beneficial. Since your opportunities for direct engagement with your employees will be a tad more limited, you'll need to be sure that they’re getting on with the job in hand and can work effectively on their own, when the need arises. After all, in a startup, there can be lots of demands on your time, so having employees in your team who don’t need continual supervision is a must.
2 Their problem-solving skills
Proactive people are also inherently good at solving problems. They're also not the type to complain, or blame or make excuses when a problem arises - they'd much rather take direct action to sort whatever the issue or challenge is. Whether they're dealing with a difficult client or a complex internal process, their goal will be the same - they'll want to deal with the challenge and prevent it from becoming a major problem.
They also won't sit around waiting on someone else to come up with a solution - they'll take ownership and think creatively and do their best to figure out a way to overcome it. In fact, they’ll often spot potential problems before they've even occurred and they won't be deterred, preferring instead to put their energy into devising a solution.
3 They’re forward-thinking
A proactive employee will also always look at the bigger picture. They focus on the end results - not just how to get there. They’re resourceful so you’ll find that planning and preparation is their forte. They’ll plan tasks, activities and set deadlines and as things change as they often do in a startup, they’ll simply readjust and change priorities whenever it’s required.
They're also good team players and they'll recognise the part that everyone plays in achieving a goal or target - they don’t simply concentrate on their own contribution. For that reason, they’re generally pretty adaptable too so you’ll find that they’re generally willing to help out whenever and wherever you need them to.
Let’s face it though - a candidate may claim to be proactive on their CV, however, if you really want to find out if their claims are valid, you’ll need to dig a little deeper at the interview. Here are a few of the questions that can help you do just that.
Let’s face it though - a candidate may claim to be proactive on their CV, however if you really want to find out if their claims are valid, you’ll need to dig a little deeper at the interview. Here are a few of the questions that can help you do just that.
Determining if they’re a self-starter
Having an employee who is a self-starter is an asset in every organisation but in a startup, it’s even more so. Change can happen suddenly and frequently so you need to ensure that your employees can handle it and are able to get on with whatever needs to be done, without continual “hand-holding”.
You can help determine this at the interview by asking them questions such as:
Adopt the direct approach - do they consider themselves to be a self-starter? Why do they believe this to be the case? Can they give an example of a time where their self-starter personality shone through? How was this evident?
Can they describe a situation where they had to make a major or important decision on a project independently? How comfortable were they in doing this? Would they have preferred to consult their manager? If so, why?
Can they give an example of an occasion where they were shown how to do something once and proceeded to do it well, without the need for further direction or supervision? Did they enjoy this or would they have preferred to get ongoing support and guidance?
Can they describe a time when they had to work alone on a project and achieved a good result? How did they achieve this? Did they enjoy it? If not, why not?
By assessing how your candidates reacted when having to work alone, or with minimal supervision, you'll get a pretty good indication of how comfortable they really are when having to use their own initiative.
Assessing their problem-solving skills
No matter what stage your startup is at, there will be problems and challenges to deal with - some pretty common, others entirely unforeseen. Therefore having employees who are skilled at problem-solving is a must.
Consider asking your candidates questions such as:
Can they give an example of a time when they were proactive in solving a small problem before it turned into a major problem?
Have they ever spotted a problem that no one else did? What happened? How did they preempt it and what was the outcome?
Can they describe a time when they managed to initiate a change of some sort to prevent a problem from occurring in the first place?
How creative are they when it comes to coming up with new ideas and ways to solve problems? Can they give an example of when they did this?
Perhaps provide them with a task or a problem scenario that they could potentially face and see how they would respond, and ask them to explain their rationale for doing so.
A candidate who is good at solving problems should have lots of real-life examples to draw from. Chances are they won’t just be skilled at problem-solving - they enjoy it too.
Identifying if they’re forward-thinking
Planning for the future is a big part of life in a startup - whether that’s to do with developing a product or service or strategic growth. You’ll need employees who have a vision - who can see that future and want to play a part in making it happen.
To identify if your candidates are inherently forward-thinking, perhaps ask them questions such as:
Have they ever faced a challenge that others shirked from, but which they knew they could overcome in the long run? What did they do and what was the result?
Can they describe a situation where something unplanned for happened and they or a project had to change direction entirely? How did they react and what was the outcome?
Have they ever used their initiative to ensure something got done? What did they do and why did they take charge?
Can they give an example of a time when they went out of their way for a client or customer because they knew the end result would be worth it? What happened and why did they feel this was the right thing to do?
A forward-thinking employee will always look to the future, be willing and able to overcome any barriers and do what they can to reach that all-important end goal.
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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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