How to Hire for Your Startup: A Hands-On Guide for Founders

Carmen Lincolne
March 6, 2025
Article

How to Hire for Your Startup: A Hands-On Guide for Founders

If you’re reading this article you are most likely in the middle of a funding round or have recently closed one. You are ready to “put some bums on seats”. For most tech startups the first key hires post funding are in product for software developers as well as bolstering the sales team.

Let’s take a look at a real-world example: A B2B SaaS company that recently raised £2 million in seed funding and mapped out its first key hires to maximise growth. Most founders are so distracted by the fundraise itself – and who can blame them – that planning for WHAT to do with the funding can fall off the wagon.

Hiring is one of the biggest challenges for early-stage founders. If you’re struggling to navigate the current hiring landscape, check out our insights on startup hiring trends. Bringing the right people into your startup can make or break your success. But don’t worry – it’s not rocket science! With the right plan in place, you can build a strong team that aligns with your vision, contributes to your growth, and stays with you for the long haul. Here’s a practical, founder-friendly guide to help you hire effectively while staying lean and focused on scaling your business.

1. Understand what a good recruitment process looks like

A structured hiring process helps you attract and secure the right talent efficiently. Avoid pitfalls by checking out 5 common hiring mistakes startup founders make. Instead of hiring reactively, take a step back and create a repeatable process that works for every role you need to fill. Here’s a simple roadmap:

Understand Your Business Needs – Before jumping into hiring, be clear about why you need this role. Identify skill gaps, define responsibilities, and clarify who the hire will report to. Think about both short-term and long-term goals—will this person evolve into a leadership role, or is this a niche position that will stay specialized?
Write a Clear Job Description – A well-written job description should include key responsibilities, expectations, and impact. Your job description should do more than list responsibilities—it should inspire. Why should someone be excited to join your startup? What impact will they have? Make it clear how this role contributes to the bigger picture.
Do Salary Benchmarking – The market is competitive, and underpricing a role will lead to fewer high-quality applicants. Use tools like Glassdoor, Hays Salary Reports, and industry data to ensure your compensation is competitive.
Define your Interview Process – Define how many interviews you’ll conduct, whether there will be a test task, and what key traits you’re evaluating. Being structured helps speed up hiring and gives candidates a great experience.
Use Multiple Hiring Channels – Post jobs on LinkedIn, Wellfound (formerly AngelList), and share the opportunity with investors and advisors who may have strong referrals. You don’t have to do it alone. Learn when to bring in expert help with our guide on external recruiters for startups.
Actively Search for Talent – Don’t just wait for applications! Be proactive in reaching out to high-potential candidates on LinkedIn.
Keep Track of Candidates – Use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to streamline your hiring workflow. If an ATS is over the top, even a simple spreadsheet or Notion board is better than keeping everything in emails.
Be Transparent & Provide Feedback – Keep candidates informed about their status. If they’re rejected, offer constructive feedback—it’s a great way to build goodwill and maintain relationships for future roles.
Make Offers Over the Phone – A personal conversation can be the difference between securing a top candidate and losing them to another offer. It builds excitement, allows you to address concerns in real time, and speeds up decision-making. Follow up with a formal offer letter.”
Maintain a Talent Pipeline – Stay in touch with strong candidates who might not be the right fit today but could be valuable hires in the future.

2. Avoid the “Unicorn” Trap

Many founders make the mistake of looking for a “perfect” candidate that does it all — someone who has every skill imaginable. While the idea of a single hire who can do it all sounds appealing, in reality, it often leads to long hiring cycles, unrealistic expectations, and quick disappointment.

Real-Life Example:

As a tech recruiter for startups, we frequently receive requests for a “senior full-stack developer who is also a UI/UX designer.” While this might sound ideal, it’s actually two very different skill sets. Finding someone who is deeply skilled in both backend architecture and frontend development while also being an expert in UI/UX design is extremely rare—this is what we call a “unicorn.”

Instead of waiting months for the perfect hire (who might not even exist), consider breaking the role into two positions:

– Hire a full-stack developer who specializes in backend and frontend development.

– Work with a UI/UX designer part-time or through an agency to get high-quality designs without overloading one person.

Not only does this approach increase your chances of hiring faster, but it also ensures that each person can excel in their specific role, leading to better long-term outcomes for your product and team.

If the reality of this worries you for financial reasons, take a look at nearshoring options like our very own tech hub in Portugal, where you can find phenomenal software engineers for 30-50% lesser cost than let’s say London or Berlin. Not sure if nearshoring is right for you? Our guide on onshore vs nearshore vs offshore development breaks down the pros and cons of each hiring approach.

3. Leverage your personal LinkedIn for hiring

Your personal LinkedIn profile is a powerful hiring tool. Founders often overlook this, but many startup candidates care more about the founder’s vision than just the job listing. Strengthen your employer brand by following this LinkedIn guide on personal branding for leaders.

Here’s why it’s so effective:

Candidates want to know the founders and mission behind a startup.
The more active you are, the more visibility your hiring posts get.
Staying in touch with past candidates helps build a long-term hiring pipeline.

Pro Tip: Stay active on LinkedIn—posting 1-2 times per week about your startup’s journey, company culture, or team wins. Candidates are drawn to founders with a strong vision, and consistent engagement increases the visibility of your hiring posts.

4. Keep a Good Rapport with Candidates

Candidate experience matters! A poor hiring experience can damage your startup’s reputation in the employment market, while a great one can create long-term advocates—even if the candidate doesn’t get the job. Here’s how to maintain a positive rapport:

Be prepared for every interview—it shows professionalism and respect.
Be timely in responses—if there’s a delay, communicate clearly. Candidates appreciate transparency.
Give thoughtful rejection feedback—help candidates learn and improve. You never know when a rejected candidate might be the perfect fit for a future role.

A great hiring experience can turn candidates into long-term advocates. Read LinkedIn’s guide on improving candidate experience.

For those interested in learning more or getting involved, further updates will be shared in the coming months.

Final Thoughts

Hiring is tough and time consuming, but having a structured process, avoiding unrealistic expectations, and building relationships will set you up for success. And remember, a bad hire can be more costly than no hire—learn more about the hidden costs of hiring mistakes. The best teams are built step by step, and the effort you put into hiring today will pay off as your startup scales.

Happy hiring!

Looking for more hands-on hiring advice? Contact us for an exclusive and free of charge 30 minute consultation with our lead recruiter.