Never Settle on New Hires

As an entrepreneur with a vision and a dream, it’s tempting to hire the first good candidate that comes along. Entrepreneurs love building things, and it’s necessary to assemble a team to get things done fast and execute the plan. Only, all too often, I see entrepreneurs settle with their first few hires. Never settle on new hires. Here are a few things to think about:

• Culture is set by the founders and team members, so ensure each hire is a great culture fit
• After interviewing several people, and not finding a great candidate, it’s tempting to hire a decent candidate — don’t do it (continue to hold out until the right person is found)
• Hire for aptitude and culture fit, not purely based on experience (we look for people who are positive, self-starting, and supportive)
• People associate with other people like themselves, so if you hire great fits early on, they’re going to recruit their friends, and the talent pipeline will grow

In the end, entrepreneurs should never settle on new hires. This is true throughout but especially true early on when resources are so limited.

What else? What are some other reasons entrepreneurs should never settle on new hires?