SaaS Dream Team Mastery
To succeed in a competitive environment you need to have the right people in the right roles. This is especially true in the SaaS industry, where you're competing against other scaling businesses and large organisations for a small pool of candidates. This isn’t changing any time soon, if anything the talent shortage in SaaS is scoped to increase and your hunt for the people that will instantly add value will only get harder.
The go to method for leaders of most start ups is to put an advert up on the usual popular job boards and reach out to a few recruiters they’ve worked with in the past. This is a starting point, and absolutely these are important touch points. What happens though, when it's been a few weeks and there's not many bites, with feedback like, ''it's a great product but I can get a higher salary and more security in a bigger company.''
"You need to do more to both find and attract the right people to your business. You need to build your employer brand, tell your story, and have a hiring strategy."
Why it’s a no brainer to invest in developing your employer brand
You have an employer brand whether you plan it or not. Every touchpoint between you and potential candidates paints a picture about your business. This means advertisements, your website, employees (past and present), and even other businesses in the ecosystem - all of these can and will determine whether you get the people you need to grow.
Your story, the culture you’re building, your vision for growth and the plan you have to get there, why you and your team get up in the morning. This is what get’s people excited. As a start up or scaling business this is your secret weapon, this is what can give you an edge that will make people forget they can make more money elsewhere.
You need people but not just any people. A clear strategy and employer brand means attracting people who resonated with your brand way before they applied. They’re excited at the prospect of joining and they’re ready to meet the challenges to come. Once you attract the right people for you, they're committed to stay.
Getting the right people will make or break your business. In a competitive environment with a small talent pool, you can’t afford not to use every tool available to you. This doesn’t mean throwing lots of money at it, it means getting clarity, being proactive and having a plan.
“It (hiring the right people) is the only reason we are where we are today”
Hooi Ling Tan, co-founder of the multi-billion dollar company Grab
In the competitive landscape of the SaaS industry, a strong employer brand is not just an HR initiative; it's a strategic investment in the success of your startup. By attracting top talent, fostering a positive work culture, and differentiating your brand, you position your SaaS startup for long-term success in an ever-evolving market. Here’s our quick guide to building an epic employer brand. If you want to learn more or get advice specific to your organisation, reach out to our employer brand and recruitment specialists Fleur Clough and Liam Daglish.
