Masterclass With CEO of 4Sale Tarek Sakr

StartupScene’s op-ed series ‘Masterclass’ invites some of the region’s most dynamic entrepreneurs and experts to divulge their secrets, dispense their knowledge, and share their experiences with the MENA region’s ever-growing startup ecosystem. Whether they’re written by old guards or trailblazers, these masterclasses have been created to illuminate the path for aspiring entrepreneurs.

This month’s Masterclass contributor is Tarek Sakr, the CEO of 4Sale, a Kuwait-based leading online classifieds platform. Sakr shares his views on how founders can hire the right people to grow their business, and what to look for when making this important decision.

How Founders Can Hire The right Team to Grow Their Business

“No man is an island” is a famous line in poetry, and one of the most important business mantras.

No company can achieve sustained success or growth if a founder tries to be excessively self-sufficient. Eventually, a founder will have to work with others, interacting in a mutually beneficial way, to achieve end goals.

Within this, no business can grow successfully without a team at the top of its game. But how does a business build its best team to support its founders, and provide exceptional customer service?

Appointing quality talent is, of course, crucial. But quality has many faces: relevant experience, dedication, loyalty, creativity, sensitivity and a can-do attitude. Also, a team is of little use if it is just a collection of individuals. Is a group genuinely united? Do they complement each other? A proper team adds up to more than the sum of its individual parts.

RECRUITING THE RIGHT TALENT

Good recruitment is an art, not a science - but here are some principles and guidelines to follow.

Be clear about what you’re recruiting for, and the skills you need

Recruiting a star performer on paper, but who cannot work with others and might undermine cohesion, can dilute an otherwise ideal team’s output and morale. Preparing accurate job descriptions so tasks are spread realistically across a team should ease the recruitment process - and identify the right individuals. No company needs square pegs for round holes.

Be precise about everyday roles, map out clear reporting lines, and identify the specific attributes required - be they subjective skills or specific technical abilities. And test for the skills you need. Just because a resume says it, it might not be true or meet your expectations.

Avoid bias

You should guard against unconscious bias that might taint your view of a candidate, whether it be age, physical attributes, gender, religious or racial background, especially if they clearly have the skills you need.

‘Too good’ is not always a problem

Similarly, it is a mistake to presume candidates with better qualifications than you, or are technically ‘overqualified’, cannot work out well. High quality talent is not automatically a threat. While they may have strengths you don’t have, they probably don’t cover all you offer. After all, you are not recruiting for your role. Ask them their motivations and be sure they fit your company. The best generals have the best aide-de-camp to advise and help them - so should you!

You many have the right person already; outside isn’t always better

When building a team, consider recruiting from within. Is there an individual already familiar with the business deserving of promotion? This can yield recruitment cost savings and possibly speed the process up. It also indicates to other employees a career path that rewards hard work and good performance - encouraging higher productivity, loyalty and employee retention.

Waiting for a perfect candidate could mean waiting a long time. Applicants ticking eight out of 10 boxes could be ideal for your culture, and with incremental improvements in the role, they can quickly become the perfect team member as weaknesses morph into strengths.

Look beyond the resume

A resume is a large part- but not all - of a candidate’s makeup. What do they do beyond work? Have they seen or experienced real-life risk? Shown leadership when required? Presented in front of a large audience? Climbed a mountain or excelled at a sport?

Look for signs of perseverance, self-sacrifice, and the ability to learn lessons and correct faults in extra-curricular activity. Depending on the exact role, these can sometimes be as influential as traditional academic credentials. Some sectors, for example, are renowned for recruiting from the military, because they know candidates have a high likelihood of being team players, problem solvers and supremely organised.

Having the right team members around you should drive your business forward, take it to new markets, strengthen its offer and help you meet your business goals.

The customer is always right

Their commitment to the profit motive should not stray into avarice (albeit a commercial awareness is welcome!). Rather, they should be laser-focused on your business delivering what customers desire, then doing it repeatedly. A business then becomes successfully sustainable via exceptional service.

Profits are a visible benefit from providing services clients and customers want. A good team will work to ensure all roads lead to improving a service or a product, so the reward of profits proves their success.

It is your job to pick the team and via careful enquiry, and by sometimes asking curve-ball questions - discover the right blend for your team. It is arguably your most important job in not just growing the company, but ensuring profitability as early as possible.