How to Recruit Top Engineers to Your Startup | Hacker News Reader

How to Recruit Top Engineers to Your Startup

currentlyobsessed.com

18 pointswebwright10 comments

I heard an interesting quote the other day: paraphrased: "With limited resources, why are you A/B testing your home page when you could be improving your value proposition? THAT's the best thing you could do to improve conversion."

With recruiting, it seems like a lot of effort is given towards the process (host events, try LinkedIn Pro, go after passive candidates) and a lot LESS is spent on the "product" (how awesome is the work? How great is the office environment? What about perks?). You spent $30k on a recruiter, when maybe a coat of paint, moving around some walls, and $300/week of catered meals per week might double your "conversion rate".

I think one of the things that improves this value proposition the most is having other high-caliber people. I would guess that 10x performers tend to attract other 10x performers.

While I won't say that I _am_ a high-caliber developer (that would be hubris), I will say that a company having high-caliber developers is what draws me to them, rather than pay rate or other perks (assuming the pay rate is reasonable). If I consider the companies to have the same, or similar, caliber people, then I'd start comparing my interest in the respective projects I would be working on, followed by pay and perks.

I should probably mention that this is my experience with internships (still a college student).

Strongly agree (to both this and webwright). The package that felt strongest for us when hiring was to have amazing talent that other people want to work with, hand over significant responsibilities to new hires, and provide an environment that people are excited to come to work in. That doesn't mean that recruiting is easy, but it sure makes it easier once you have found the people you want.

Totally agree. The best people care more about working with, begin challenged by and learning from other great people, and pay is far down the list

> and pay is far down the list

until you have kids. ;)

"Convert your contractors"

Ha. Unfortunately he doesn't explain how, which of course is the difficult part.

I'm currently contracting myself and I love it. I get paid high daily rates, have no commitment other than the project I'm working on and I can move on with only a weeks notice. Please explain me how you are going to convert me. How is it going to be worth taking a pay cut and not be the final technical decision maker within your business?

Well, at some point you become so enthralled with the project and the company that you want to be a part of it vs. thining of yourself as a paid agent doing a job. And if not, you probably aren't a fit and wouldn't get the offer in the first place (at least not in my experiences)

So, I'm a contractor and I'm enthralled with the project and the company (which is kinda the position I'm in right now). The company loves this and wants me to stay on full-time, I'd love to stay. However, why would I take a pay cut and why would I take a step back in "rank". Staying on as a contractor I can still work on my enthralled project..

What sort of bargaining can the company perform? What can you offer a contractor you don't want to lose to become full-time?

Well, for you there would be equity upside (vs. contractors that typically get zero) and the chance to gain more responsibility (vs. contractors that typically aren't allowed to manage budget or people)

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