‘Bootstrapped’ derives from the old phrase ‘to pull oneself up by one’s bootstraps.’ Bootstrapping means you don’t need any help to stand on your feet, as a business. In the startup world, it implies that your funding is limited, your risk is high, and you have fifty seven great business ideas that needed to be implemented yesterday. In this whirlwind, from vision to commitment to profitable company, you need to work with other great people. Technology can help you find those people. For bootstrapped startups, a tech recruiting solution needs to (1) facilitate collaboration, (2) integrate social media, and (3) broadcast the good word with mass job posting.
(1) Facilitate Collaboration. On a team of 10 or less, each new addition is at least 1/10 of your talent pool (or at least it should be). Because of how much small teams work together, each new addition will also have a dramatic effect on the output of every existing member of the team. Remember, attitude over aptitude. Value cultural fit. This is why each existing member of the team must give input when hiring. SmartRecruiters offers an internal social feed to facilitate this internal collaboration when hiring.
(2) Integrate with Social Media. Networks! There’s tons of talent in your networks. Share the opportunities. Plus, with a limited budget, free impressions are a bootstrapped startup’s best friend. With SmartRecruiters, you can share the free unique URL of your job ad on LinkedIn, Twitter – whereever – and create a careers page on your Facebook page. Social media is simply changing the way talent is showcased. Leveraging your networks and networks’ networks (say that three times fast) is a must for startups (plus it doesn’t hurt to tell the world that you’re growing).
(3) Broadcast the Good Word with Mass Job Posting. This starts with the job boards that offer free postings (Indeed, Simply Hired, etc.), continues to the commercial boards, and (more importantly for startups) the niche boards. Niche communities are where startups often find the specialized skill sets they are looking for. You can post to all these job sites in one click with SmartRecruiters. Bootstrapped startups should also remember that each job posting is not just an ad for their job opening, but it is also an ad for their company.
The right people will help turn what needed to be done yesterday into what is done today. The laundry list of great business ideas may seem never ending. And it may seem like you can not spend a minute away from your business. This is why your tech recruiting solution needs to facilitate collaboration (share the recruiting workload), integrate with social media (leverage those networks, and harness organic traffic), as well as, broadcast the good word, “I’m Hiring!”
Join the Hiring Revolution. Hire with SmartRecruiters.
