Hiring your first employee at a startup is like laying the cornerstone of a grand building. In the dynamic world of tech startups, your first employee brings a special combination of skills and qualities that make them stand out from employees at larger, more established companies.
Understanding what these skills are, how a startup environment differs from a large company, and what motivates people to choose to work at a startup can help you understand this exciting, fast-paced ecosystem.
Must-have skills and qualities for startup employees
Startup employees are often the jack-of-all-trades in the tech industry: versatile, adaptable, and ready to take on anything. Unlike large companies where roles are clearly defined, startup employees often multitask. They need to be entrepreneurial, tech-savvy, and resourceful problem solvers. Proficiency in relevant technologies and coding languages ​​is a must in tech startups and is often the first thing they ask for. Startups face unexpected challenges, so employees must be creative and innovative in their approach to problem-solving. Strong ownership and a proactive attitude are essential. Startup employees are self-motivated and can take initiative.
Motivations for joining a startup
Given the wide range of options in the labor market, people choose to work for a startup for a variety of reasons. Many are attracted by the startup’s innovation and the chance to work on cutting-edge technologies and products. Startups offer the potential for rapid career growth and the opportunity to take on significant responsibilities early in your career. The possibility of gaining equity and ownership in the company is also a major motivator.
Looking back at the first hire
To get a better idea of ​​what startup hiring actually looks like, we spoke to four tech founders in the region.
Speaking about Romanian real estate tech company Bright Spaces, CEO and co-founder Bogdan Nicoară recalls, “We had the good fortune to start with our first three employees from day one. Previously, I founded and led a software development company together with my co-founder and CTO Andrei Constantin. Our journey to founding Bright Spaces began with winning the first real estate tech hackathon in South-Eastern Europe. This win prompted us to move from the company to fully focus on Bright Spaces. We hired three of the best employees from the company for this new venture, allowing us to build a strong foundation from the get-go.”
These key personnel were hired on a contract basis and included two developers and a 3D specialist. There was no formal hiring process as these employees were already with previous companies, two of whom are still with Bright Spaces today.
Munch, a Hungarian foodtech startup founded by four student entrepreneurs in 2020, has chosen a different path: “We hired our first three employees within two months of founding. They worked as volunteers with no financial benefit, which was possible thanks to our close ties with the university community,” explains CEO and co-founder Bence Zwecker.
These initial team members took on marketing and sales roles, and the hiring process moved quickly thanks to existing relationships within the university community.
“I was initially hired as an email marketing and content specialist but ended up doing a lot more. Since then I’ve had four different roles and now I’m responsible for PR communications, partnerships and writing content across four countries,” explains Belayane Najoua, one of Munch’s first employees.
Meanwhile, Czech talent startup Sloneek combined strategic planning with fast action. Co-founder Milan Rataj says, “We hired our first three employees about six months after we started the company. We hired them on a contract basis because we always wanted 100% commitment and focus on the work. Our first three positions were for one back-end developer and two front-end developers. Because we had strong resources, the hiring process took just a few minutes. Today, one front-end developer from this group is still with us.”
Choice, an online B2B subscription-based service founded in 2020 by Alex Ilyash, also leveraged his existing network. “Even before I founded the company, I reached out to people I knew from my previous companies and asked them to join us. We hired both freelancers and contract employees. Our first positions were a developer, a sales manager, and a UI/UX designer. The hiring process took about a month, and all of these employees are still with the company today and have virtual stocks and options in the company,” Alex recalls.
If there’s a common thread in these stories, it’s probably the importance of starting with people you’ve known before. At that point everything is brand new and unclear, so having people searching for answers with you is the secret to a successful startup.
Tell us about your experience hiring early employees at your startup. [email protected].
