Thursday, December 17, 2015

JOB SPECIAL............. EMPLOYEE TIPS - STARTING WITH A START-UP

EMPLOYEE TIPS - STARTING WITH A START-UP


THOUGH AN INCREASING NUMBER OF YOUNG GRADUATES PREFER WORKING WITH START-UPS, THERE ARE A HOST OF ISSUES THAT ONE SHOULD TAKE NOTE OF BEFORE MAKING A DECISION

An increasing number of graduates are drawn towards the start-up culture. In keeping with this, it is important to conduct some research and understand if you are a right fit for the start-up culture.
India is the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world with 3,100 start-ups in 2014 and is expected to zoom to 11,500 start-ups by 2020. India's unicorn start-ups (valuation over $1 billion) account for over 10% of the global unicorn club. An Employment Outlook Report study conducted by TeamLease recently found nine of 10 startups claiming to increase the number of hires in 2016.While working for a start-up offers multiple learning experiences, here are a few things one should keep in mind before taking a decision:

THE FOUNDER'S BACKGROUND
Though most entrepreneurs talk about their passion and a drive to establish their idea, a check on their academic background and track record turns out to be beneficial. It is important to know about the founder's past ventures and job roles.This helps you gauge the company you will work with. If there is more than one founder, find out how they met, how they started the company and what their future goals are. Most start-ups fail, thanks to weak leadership. Hence, it is important to analyse the founder's leadership qualities before joining the organisation.

FUNDING
Many start-ups fail or get acquired on account of their inability to manage cash flows. And hence, it is important to know if the venture is still operating with a bootstrapself or seed funding or whether it has a backing of one or more venture capitalists. Inquire about the investors and how much capital was raised. In most cases, this information is publicly available.

WORK CULTURE
People who have worked at a start-up will agree that working with them en tails a casual work environment and most often, an informal dress code.A number of companies allow employees to bring their pets to work.While a casual work culture may sound fun, working with a start-up can be hectic and stressful. Thus, it is important to understand the work environment, company policy and your job profile before applying to a start-up.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
It is important to understand your job role before you apply for a position at a start-up. Try and get an idea of your responsibilities, targets and your growth path. Unlike most jobs where there is a clear description of what the job entails, a start-up may expect you to perform a number of tasks. This ambiguity bothers a few people, but acts as a perk for those who wish to learn while on the job. At times, hands-on-learning is effective, and this helps make you a stronger and better-rounded employee and individual.

Kunal Sen
 (The author is senior vice president, Teamlease Services Limited)

MM3DEC15

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