Building a Team of Peers Andy McLoughlin

I am co-founder and product director at Huddle Huddle combines unified collaboration with social networking Huddle was launched in April 2007 Based in London, sales office in Chicago Doubling in size (users / revenue) every 4 months A little bit about us...

Was it really all plain sailing? December 07: 5 staff December 08: 30 staff

Dear God, no! Picture of stormy sea Hell no!

Picture of stormy sea

The early days Use nice graphics from the website (or ask Keh) Building a great team is really, really hard work You rarely get the chance to pick a team from scratch so make it count

Use nice graphics from the website (or ask Keh)

Things we've learnt Your initial team may not make the grade Don’t be afraid to say no Meeting the perfect candidate is like falling in love Working in a start-up isn’t for everyone Don’t hire people if you wouldn’t want to spend all day, every day with them Bet on smart, entrepreneurial people And…

Your initial team may not make the grade

Don’t be afraid to say no

Meeting the perfect candidate is like falling in love

Working in a start-up isn’t for everyone

Don’t hire people if you wouldn’t want to spend all day, every day with them

Bet on smart, entrepreneurial people

And…

Build “a team of peers”

“ A team of peers” Coined by Bob, our first post-VC hire Everyone hires everyone else Foster the sense of family and buy-in We run a three stage process Telephone screen (20 minutes) Paired technical test (1 hour) General interview (30 minutes) Huddle’s patented “4 point scale” Unless everyone is agreed, it’s a no-go

Coined by Bob, our first post-VC hire

Everyone hires everyone else

Foster the sense of family and buy-in

We run a three stage process

Telephone screen (20 minutes)

Paired technical test (1 hour)

General interview (30 minutes)

Huddle’s patented “4 point scale”

Unless everyone is agreed, it’s a no-go

“ Bet on openness, build trust” Huddle’s product and company mantra Keep the team in one building Publish company targets and roadmap Weekly company stand-up with open floor Get engineers and product on sales calls Get sales and marketing people testing Company-wide product planning sessions 10% hack time to build cool stuff

Huddle’s product and company mantra

Keep the team in one building

Publish company targets and roadmap

Weekly company stand-up with open floor

Get engineers and product on sales calls

Get sales and marketing people testing

Company-wide product planning sessions

10% hack time to build cool stuff

Finding talent Direct applicants FTW! We’ve used friends’ recommendations, blogging, speaking, twitter and networking events to successfully recruit great staff. LinkedIn, TechCrunch jobs, Monster and other job boards

Dealing with recruiters Dealing with recruitment agents

Recruiters: a cheat-sheet Generally, they’re bastards and full of shit Luckily, it is a hirer’s market Create a PSL of maximum five agencies Set a fixed rate (max 15%) Be explicit with your needs and demand their three best CVs

Generally, they’re bastards and full of shit

Luckily, it is a hirer’s market

Create a PSL of maximum five agencies

Set a fixed rate (max 15%)

Be explicit with your needs and demand their three best CVs

Interns – something for nothing? Interns: something for nothing?

Interns: a cheat sheet You can offer unpaid internships but conditions apply Avoid unpaid interns falling within the definition of 'worker" under the minimum wage legislation The intern should be learning skills / gaining experience The intern cannot be subject to any work obligations No regular payments smaller than minimum wage should be promised or made (travel / food expenses are fine) Set a finite timeline then graduate to minimum wage For tech interns and design interns this can be flexible They’re part of your team so quality standards hold true Have a look at enternships.com

You can offer unpaid internships but conditions apply

Avoid unpaid interns falling within the definition of 'worker" under the minimum wage legislation

The intern should be learning skills / gaining experience

The intern cannot be subject to any work obligations

No regular payments smaller than minimum wage should be promised or made (travel / food expenses are fine)

Set a finite timeline then graduate to minimum wage

For tech interns and design interns this can be flexible

They’re part of your team so quality standards hold true

Have a look at enternships.com

Losing a friend Breaking up is hard to do

“ I’m giving you my notice” The first time it happens is heartbreaking But it’s inevitable If you love them, let them go! Look for early signs of unhappiness Paying below market rate is a false economy If you’ve instigated the break-up (sacking / redundancy / probation) then ensure you follow proper procedure Send your CEO / COO / office manager on an HR course

The first time it happens is heartbreaking

But it’s inevitable

If you love them, let them go!

Look for early signs of unhappiness

Paying below market rate is a false economy

If you’ve instigated the break-up (sacking / redundancy / probation) then ensure you follow proper procedure

Send your CEO / COO / office manager on an HR course

“ A place I'd want to work” Creating “a place I'd want to work”

Creating that place Great people + nice surroundings = WIN Make everyone a shareholder Invest in a good coffee machine Table football league / Wii / beanbag area encourage creative thinking and bonding Eat together regularly Regular outings with partners invited Continually ask yourself if this truly is a place you’d want to work

Great people + nice surroundings = WIN

Make everyone a shareholder

Invest in a good coffee machine

Table football league / Wii / beanbag area encourage creative thinking and bonding

Eat together regularly

Regular outings with partners invited

Continually ask yourself if this truly is a place you’d want to work

Thank you! Email: andy@huddle.net Twitter: @bandrew