The 4 types of startup employees
When I think about the thousands of people I’ve worked with, I believe there are four types of startup employees.
Depending on the stage of the startup and its rate of growth, employees may not always have control over where they fall within these types. The four types are…
A startup is only as good as its employees. Startup employees can advance or regress through these four types during their tenure.
1️⃣ You could not survive without this person
If your rocketship ever reaches the moon, she, along with the founders, is a reason why.
She has a true founder mentality.
She augments talent and leadership gaps in any situation, even those of the founders.
Employees respect her and look for any chance to be in her orbit.
She is a trajectory-changing hire who can be tasked with any project, any problem, without a second thought.
2️⃣ You would rehire this person today
He could be a VP, but he could also be in his first month as an entry-level employee. Regardless, he shows leadership and grit with every action taken.
He frequently delivers more than expected.
He often goes out of his way to help others who are not on his team.
He strives to be a culture-add, not a culture-fit.
He is a good person to work with, report to, and learn from.
Losing him would negatively impact team morale. Replacing him is not easy in the short term.
3️⃣ This person is meeting expectations
They are doing what you hired them to do, but given the rate of learning required at a startup, they might not be able to meet expectations in six months unless they accelerate their rate of learning (which is directly tied to their rate of doing).
They get shout-outs, but they are seldom a standout.
They never offend, but they rarely inspire.
They’re good, sometimes great, but hardly game-changing.
They always show up in their role, but you want to see them grow in their role.
If given the chance to rehire them today… you’d likely pass in an effort to bring a more impactful teammate onboard.
In certain company cultures, this type of employee basically falls into the 4th type, listed below.
4️⃣ This person is not meeting expectations
Maybe they are unreliable.
Maybe their skillset is not where it is supposed to be.
Maybe they lack the drive/urgency/agency required to be successful in this role at this company during this time.
Their presence is slowing you down, especially if they are a key manager or executive.
Once a person has fallen into this category for 30 days (max), it’s time to make a change.
Losing them would be a short-term inconvenience, but an overall lift for team morale and productivity.
So, what about the other employees?
You know… the ones whose behavior shows they have issues adhering to company values, company rules, or even laws.
Those people gotta go, regardless of where they fall into the ‘four types’ listed above.
You can fire them, suspend them, or, in certain sensitive situations (e.g. drug use) place them on leave.
This article is not intended to be HR advice. Every situation, like every person, is unique and should be handled as such with your Human Resources and/or Legal team.