Gitta Blatt, Head of People at Wooga, provides lessons learned and recommendations for hiring the best people for startups. She discusses the importance of getting recruitment basics right by defining what roles and skills are needed. Referrals are the top talent channel at Wooga, making up 40% of hires, so networking and managing university relations are key. While volume is important, focus is crucial - don't pursue ideas just because they are popular. Consider fit over just skills, look at individuality and personality, and engage candidates throughout the screening and interviewing process. Make hiring decisions based on what you really want to know about candidates, not just opinions of the highest paid employees.

1. Gitta Blatt,
Head of People
Wooga @ HIIG
February 2014

2. How many
Singles do we
have here today?

3. Parship
says YES

4. (January 2014, Jobvite)

5. Lessons learned
Recommendations
Summary
How to hire the best people for your start up

6. 1.800
11.000
350.000
Gitta 15 years
filled jobs
Interviews
CV‘s

7. est.

9. Wooga?
Lessons learned
Recommendations
Summary
How to hire the best people for your start up

10. Get the
basics
right

11. What do
you want?

12. What do
you need?

13. 30 billion loss to the
German economy in 2011
caused by unfilled
positions
(Ernst Young)

14. You can
easily
scare the
candidate

16. Recruiting
needs a
change

17. Talent Channel @Wooga
Direct Contact
35%
Events
3%
Headhunter
15%
Referral
40%
University
Relations
6%

18. Referral
40%
Talent Channel @Wooga

19. Networking Management

20. successful
referrals

21. Direct Contact
35%
Talent Channel @Wooga

22. Prepare your
digital name
card

27. University
Relations
6%
Talent Channel @Wooga

28. Universitiy Management

29. Business
Platforms

30. But
Focus

31. Don‘t ask...
Is this a
good idea?

32. But...
Is this idea better
than any other
idea I am working
on?

33. Volume Management

34. Fulltime
Vacancies
in 2013
3.000
Working
Students

35. Fulltime
Vaacancies
in 2013
289
488
131Working
Students

36. Lessons learned
Recommendations
Summary
How to hire the best people for your start up

37. Fit over Skill

38. Individuality and
Personality

39. Screen
+
Interview

40. Decide
How?

41. Don’t follow the Hippo!
HIPPO =
Highest Paid
Person’s Opinion

42. What you want to
know…
And how you might ask for it…
Team fit • What‘s characteristic for a team you would be comfortable working with?
• What is your personal line that mustn't be crossed?
• Which are signs for you that a colleague is not happy with a decision that was made?
Creativity • To which point do you fight for your ideas?
• What characterizes a good idea for you?
• Which of your former ideas are you most proud of? How did you make sure they’re realized?
Self-motivation • What was your most complex/unstructured project you ever worked on? What made it that complex? How exactly
did you handle the situation?
• Which achievements are you most proud of? Why?
Performance-
orientation
• When was the last time you pushed yourself to the edge to achieve a goal?
• Under which conditions do you decide to reject a task you’re given?
• What do you need to keep your performance up while working at a lengthily task?
Sense for responsibility • When would you assume the responsibility for something? Or when wouldn’t you? What does your decision
depend on?
• Could you give me an example of your past where you’ve shown responsibility?
Decision-making ability • Would you please give us an example about how you made a decision when many insecurities were involved?
• How do you decide in case you don’t have enough time to research sufficient information?

43. ENGAGEMENT
IS KEY

45. Lessons learned
Recommendations
Summary
How to hire the best people for your start up

46. Summary: what did not work?
• too general
• too corporate
• engineers use their own channels:
• user groups, conferences &
recommendations
• quantity vs. quality
• take care about women

47. Summary, my future predictions
1. Blogs and Media are top relevant
2. Mobile might come critical mass
3. Social tools already change practice
4. Employees Market of choice
5. Diversity enters the world of top talent
6. Workforce analytics will ermege – Tools become
critical for big data
7. Package instead money (Culture, Career,
Responsibility, Ownership)

48. ?

49. Gitta Blatt
Head of People
gitta@wooga.com