Dive Brief:

• Amsterdam-based Rockstart, a startup accelerator program that has graduated 68 companies and created more than 400 new jobs, is an example of a structured recruitment program that works well.

• Hagi Trinh, who writes for Recruiting Blogs and is from one of the startups that has benefitted from the program, says, “In order to survive and scale, startups need to hire competent team members consistently.” The Rockstart program emphasizes hiring the right person, not the first few that come along – with an extensive process that can take as long as 8 weeks.

• The recruitment process involves careful crafting of the job description, with multiple members of the team giving their input, a series of interviews, and an internship project that allows each candidate to provide his or her skills. In some cases, an outside staffing firm conducts a candidate assessment. Everything is well-managed by technology that makes the most of each startup's resources, while ensuring a good fit.

Dive Insight:

Startups account for a growing number of jobs around the globe, especially in the technology sector, which is what makes the Rockstart program so incredible for the lucky few who become part of it’s program. Along with business building support, which includes a solid financial backing, Rockstart is setting startups up for long-term success with a recruitment process that has the future in mind. 

Most startups and even established companies can relate to wise words, “If you don’t have a good process from writing the job opening to putting it online, to getting applications, to interviewing, to doing the hiring, everything that would step in there would be weakened and would not give you the optimal outcome," says Rune Theill, co-founder and CEO at Rockstart.