The Indian Startup Show Saurabh Nigam, author of People-Powered Startups: Building a Culture of Collaboration, Innovation, and High Performance.
Mar 5, 2025
Join Saurabh Nigam, an HR leader and angel investor with over two decades of experience, as he shares insights on successfully building a startup culture. He tackles why startups often struggle with HR and offers smart hiring strategies, emphasizing cultural fit over skills. Saurabh discusses the role of AI in recruitment, retaining top talent amidst challenges, and managing toxic high performers. He also sheds light on mental wellness in high-growth environments and the critical non-negotiables for startup culture.
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When to Hire HR
- Hire dedicated HR support when you, as a founder, can no longer spend quality time with each team member.
- This could be anywhere between 2 and 50 people, depending on your business.
Effective Hiring Strategies
- Clearly define why you're hiring, how the role fits into your organization, and its success metrics.
- Index more on 'alignment' with your ways of working than skills, as skills can be taught.
Premature Hiring in Startups
- Startups often overestimate their hiring needs, leading to premature or excessive hires.
- This is driven by the misconception that team size directly correlates with growth.