The Pros & Cons of Recruiting for a Start-Up During a Crisis

---

Let's face it - there is not a lot of hiring taking place at the moment. If anything, businesses are more inclined to be letting people go, but if your start-up is thriving in the current environment, you might be forgiven for thinking that you're in a buyers market. The arguments for this go a bit like this:

1. There are far more candidates around than usual
2. There are higher calibre candidates around
3. Candidates are in a weak negotiating position
4. They are more open-minded about working for a start-up

However, there are some inherent pitfalls in thinking this way:
​

1. Too many applicants per job can dramatically waste your time
2. Employers rarely let go of their best talent in a crisis
3. Top performing candidates rarely start a job search during a crisis
4. Candidates that step backwards usually move on when conditions improve

So, by all means, keep hiring, but stay on your toes. Here are some things you can do to mitigate your risk:
​

1. Tighten your selection requirements when advertising to exclude candidates that you don't want. e.g. turn some 'desirable' criteria into 'must-haves'.
2. Beware candidates that look 'too good to be true'. Carefully check references of candidates being 'let go' during a crisis. They may be the victim of a spring clean.
3. Continue to target and approach high-quality passive candidates.
4. Make fair offers in the bad times, or you will pay for it in the good times.​

​​