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This week 1871 announced Laura Fendrich as the incubator’s first in-house recruiter. Fendrich is joining 1871 from tech staffing firm Hirewell to head up this new 1871 service offering. 1871 member companies will now have access to Fendrich’s hiring expertise for a fee, which can range from $250 to $1,250 depending on the hire.
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“A big pain point for start-ups has always been finding - and retaining - great talent, and 1871 sees real potential in offering a way to alleviate some of that struggle,” Fendrich said.
As Fendrich gets started this summer, she will be utilizing her technical recruiting background to help 1871’s early-stage tech companies grow sustainably. Here are just a few of her top tips for these companies and other Chicago startups looking for technical talent:
1) Attitude + aptitude + tech = ideal hire
“One of my bosses told me early on in my career that making a technical hire comes down to attitude, aptitude and technology. If a candidate hits 2 of those 3 points, an offer should be made.”
2) Take the leap
“I've found in my career there is a general fear of ‘making the wrong hire’ among start-ups, but it’s also important to recognize that there is an opportunity cost for everything we do on any given day. If you stay late at work to finish up an important project, you're giving up that time you could be spending elsewhere, but you know the long-term gain will outweigh the short term cost, so you make that move.”
3) Be willing to compromise (but only a little)
“When you decide to make a technical hire to execute your vision, you are going to be giving up any number of things – maybe a technical skill, maybe a little more money on the salary side, maybe just the chance to interview more people. But at what cost? No one ever got anywhere in life without prioritizing and making compromises. That absolutely rings true in technical recruiting.”
