Building an HR Strategy for a Startup that Lasts

Building an HR Strategy for a Startup that Lasts

We get it. Startup growth can be tough. You get impatient, want more clients already, need to hire more talent, and suddenly you realize you just don’t have enough time to do it all.

Our advice? Make sure you implement a good HR strategy from the get go. Think of a strong Human Resources foundation as sturdy table legs that will continue to hold and support all of the weight placed on the surface. If your base is strong, the rest will follow.

But, as we all know, forming an administrative baseline can be nothing short of a headache. That’s why we’ve gathered ideas for how to build an HR strategy that will set your startup for success. These 3 pillars are a great place to start when tailoring the perfect HR plan for your unique business model.

Prioritize talent recruitment and retention

If you’re thinking your startup isn’t yet big enough to think about recruitment strategies, well, you’re wrong. It’s never too early to think about how you’ll be finding and onboarding talent because this is the first way in which your company will be growing. And when the time comes, you want to be ready with a solid strategy already in place.

Start thinking about where you will be looking for talent, and perhaps have a draft job description ready with some key words. Consider what your onboarding process will look like – will it be an online programme or will the majority of it be in person? How long will it last?

And of course, make sure you have a list of all documents that new hires will need to submit or sign. Draft your employment contract and start looking over it with managers. As a pointer, employment contracts should include the job description, the employee’s responsibilities, the salary and benefits, ID details, any termination conditions, and confidentiality settlements.

This step can be made much easier with the use of AI software designed specifically for HR departments. Setting up and familiarizing yourself with an Applicant Tracking System early on can save you tons of time later on in the hiring process, while picking software that can help with onboarding can be invaluable for retention.

Define the startup

If you were to define the company objective in one sentence, what would it be? The clearer you are on this mission, the easier it will be to relay it to others. And the more defined the mission is, the easier it will be to make HR decisions by evaluating whether they are in line with company values.

While building the objectives, take a look at what the company culture will look like. Will there be a close-knit and all-hands-on-deck type team structure, or will there be many departments that oversee different parts of the work? How will the management style be, and what will your relationship with employees be like? What will be the main things expected from talent?

This one might work best in steps. First, think about the main purpose behind the business. If it were to be condensed this into one objective, what would that be? That is the mission. Then, think of what the future holds. Where do you see the company in several years’ time, and what issues what will it be tackling? That is the vision. And finally, think of what is most important to maintain and achieve during this process. How will employees and others that you work with be treated? How will the planet be treated? These are the values. Settling on these early, and basing all future HR structures on these main pillars, will create a confident culture as the startup expands.

Blend the outside with the inside

As much as you want the startup to be sure of itself, you don’t want it to be completely separated from the outside world either. When building an HR strategy for a startup, it’s crucial to be open to innovation. What are some novel ways that other startups have been tackling objectives similar to yours? What are some employment benefits that talent these days is especially drawn to? Being open to new ideas is a trait that many desire but not all possess, especially when it comes to building a company from scratch.

When implementing innovative practices into your HR strategy, it is crucial not to lose sight of the mission, vision, and values that you put all that effort into defining as your base. Aligning novel concepts with the company culture will work wonders in giving your startup the flexibility it needs to tackle any changes that the workforce might necessitate, while making sure that your core remains strong. This is also a good way to ensure that managerial hierarchy remains in place, but that all employees’ voices are heard.

If you’re wondering how to build an HR strategy for your growing startup, these 3 steps are a great place to start. By defining your company, putting the correct recruitment strategies in place, and making sure that you are open to innovation, you will have a strong yet flexible basis on which your company’s unique HR strategy can be constructed.