How to Retain Startup Employees for the Long Haul

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Waiting too Long to Cut Someone From Your Team
I’ll admit that I’m not perfect at hiring. I’m a big believer in hiring the person who’s a little too junior for the role—the go-getter with loads of potential. I’m a sucker for the underdog. But that sometimes means I become biased in their favor, which can affect how I evaluate their performance.

If an underdog becomes a perpetual underperformer, it can feel like I’ve boxed myself in. The hire only hurts the team—and you can't afford that at the early startup stage. No founder or manager likes to rip this particular band-aid off, but ultimately, cutting a bad hire loose will be best for both parties.

A good startup hire is just the beginning. You also need to keep those rare superstars before a big company snags them up. Those core professionals who fit in the “capable and willing” quadrant will be worth their salary and then some—so it’s worth figuring out how to retain them. My advice?

Adopt a people-first attitude. If you focus on the quality of lebanon telegram data people you hire, then the people you hire will simply enjoy working at your company more. You’ll have fewer underperforming employees and a healthy team atmosphere. Your company won’t be the plans you make—and it won’t be the pitch decks you assemble. Your company is only the people you hire.
Build a positive, trustworthy company culture. Hire people with solid character—people who value integrity and cooperation. You might not be able to evaluate this with perfect accuracy from interviews alone, but when you see someone failing to earn the trust of their peers, take action quickly. Let them go before they poison the well for the rest of the team.
Enforce high standards. There’s an old saying: You default to the level of your standards. If you want to keep those standards without losing top talent, you’ll have to bring in people who can elevate your team, not just fill an empty seat. Don’t hire too quickly at first. It will only make it more difficult to enforce those standards.
Create a path for internal career growth. Small startups can’t always offer huge paychecks to their early employees, but they do have one advantage: career growth opportunities. If an employee joins as Employee #5 and the company takes off, they can have a steep career trajectory if they grow with the company. For example, Nick Perisco started working with us at Close in 2012 as a sales rep, eventually becoming Senior Director of Business Operations 12 years later.
Find the Right People at the Right Time
Startups have to be careful about the culture they’re building inside their walls. Be disciplined with your hiring practices and don’t compromise on the qualities you’re seeking.