Have you ever wondered why some businesses thrive and grow while most close up within a few years?
There is that one factor that determines long-term business success.
The good news is that it is 100% in your hands.
Can you guess? ๐ค
๐ It’s hiring the right people and merging them into a thriving and robust team.
This is the story of Upshift, the company that managed to scale from 3 to 150 employees at a glance. In the next few minutes, we will reveal our secret to building an effective hiring process and how we unlock our employee’s potential by motivating them to give their maximum.
Let’s dive in!
๐ Core principles and values to build great tech teams
The truth is:ย High-performing teams won’t materialize out of the ether. They require careful cultivation with a strong sense of team values, goals, and a code of ethics. Upshift is trying to build something that hasn’t been built before. We are on the verge of creating a unique, scalable, lasting company and team that wouldn’t just build a product but create professionals and happy individuals who love Mondays.
๐The secret to building an effective hiring process
Upshift managed to scale from 3 to 150 employees in just 6 years while keeping true to our values. How did we manage to do this?ย By building a strong and structured HR process and making it our top priority. As Nika, our HR Manager explains, we always try to look a step ahead and learn more about what might be working tomorrow instead of just focusing on what works today.
๐ Here are our 3 key points for a successful hiring process:
Ensure an outstanding candidate experience (end-to-end) while encouraging feedback loops. Don’t ever compromise on corporate culture. This is what makes us who we are, and it’s only strong if shared. And last but not least – be flexible and take action. Analyze and improve the HR process on a daily basis. Even small steps are better than none.
๐ The top criteria for selecting our next team members
Skills and relevant experience are a good start. But, we also aim for candidates with particular personality traits too – like proactivity. Any skills can be acquired, and experience gained, while proactivity is one of those characteristics that is simply part and parcel of who a person naturally is. It can be invaluable – especially in a startup environment. We are aware that great teams are to be built. They just don’t grow freely. Finding people who are all-in on the vision of Upshift and passionate about their contribution – we consider them as the real game changers. Our appetite for learning unites us, and we work together as one team to create the best possible experiences for our end users.ย
๐ Unlocking employees’ potential and motivating them to give their maximum
Behind every groundbreaking and life-changing product, there is an awesome team. That is a fact. At Upshift, you are expected to make a difference. This is a place where your opinions and ideas will truly matter.ย Day by day, our engineering team pursues our mission of making the world of work a better place for everyone. We share a unique work culture based on aiming high, taking ownership, co-creating, caring, and growing.ย When it comes to motivation, our guiding rule is simple:ย We strive to make everyone understand the big picture and what’s most important – we want people to see their place in it.ย Our experience showed that extraordinary things could happen when people can know their potential impact and feel valued at the same time. Additionally, we ensure to nurture our feedback culture on a daily basis, not only top-bottom but bottom-top and horizontally among peers.
๐ Tips for a successful hiring journey with Upshift
Tip #1
Be you! We want you as you are. Honest answers are much appreciated.
Tip #2
Make sure you work alone on the technical challenge. We value integrity. It's totally fine if you don't know everything (you will get there).
Tip #3
Demonstrate your passion and interest by preparing thoughtful questions for your interviewer.
Tip #4
Bring your positive energy and enthusiasm!
๐ 7 steps plan to improve our hiring process furthermore
Our mission to make our hiring process flawless doesn’t stop here. As we mentioned above, what may have worked yesterday may not work today. Thus, here is our 7 steps game plan to keep up on top of the HR game:
Step #1: Customize the hiring process even further and tailor it to the specific role (since roles are changing rapidly).
Step #2: Adopt the usage of artificial intelligence tools to improve the assessment process and ensure equal opportunities for everyone.
Step #3: Involve more team members in an open introductory session during the interview process. This way, the team can present their work and strategies, and candidates can get to know them.
Step #4: Create more challenging technical tasks and give candidates the freedom to express themselves.
Step #5: Focus on each candidate’s potential rather than direct experience.
Step #6: Organize an external hackathon for everyone who wants to participate. Offer internships or entry-level positions to winners.
Step #7: Provide more detailed feedback to candidates who, unfortunately, were not hired.