What every startup employee looks for

Startups have become the talk of the era, and undoubtedly, they can be beneficial for kickstarting your career and helping you make a bigger impact. However, most of the times, students or fresh college graduates are often confused about where to start their careers – startups or corporates? Although a job at a startup might seem fun from the outside, when it comes to the real deal, it can be as nerve-racking and demanding as a job at a big corporate.

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However, to bag the best of the lot, it is the entrepreneur’s duty to provide their employees with some basic perks, experiences and benefits that will be of substantial importance later on in their life. Here are a few such elements that an entrepreneur should ideally provide their startup employees with:

Exposure

Exposure is paramount on the list because it is the differentiating factor between a startup and a corporate. By no means does this imply that big companies are bad at providing exposure. But it is always better to be a big fish in a pond than be a small fish at sea. Being smaller in size and more cohesive in form, startups provide the employee with the opportunity to directly interact with the founders and the higher-ups. So, an entrepreneur must ensure that provisions for such interactions that will help your team gain exposure is maintained.

A vibrant work culture

When it comes to the startup ecosystem, work culture is considered to be an important distinguishing element from established corporates. Work culture plays an important role in extracting the best out of employees and making them stick to the organisation for longer. Give your employees a relaxed and productive work culture that inspires them to work hard and encourages them to collaborate.

An ongoing learning process

Most people who opt for a startup do it primarily to learn, as a startup gives them the chance to grow with the company itself. Not all people are solely driven by money. Many are on the lookout for an opportunity for first-hand learning. Money and perks can be compelling, but entrepreneurs should be mindful that skills and knowledge goes a long way. Make sure that the culture of the startup is conducive to learning new skills, and if possible, initiate mentorship programmes that will help employees do so.

Flexibility

Startups can challenge a person’s strengths and capabilities and that can only come from a flexible work environment. Most people are looking for a schedule that lets them do their work in a way that it fits perfectly with their personal lives. If an entrepreneur can help them achieve this by allowing them to work on flexible schedules, they might not need to do much to ensure that their employees stay for long.

An array of responsibilities

In a large company, it is easier for a person to get pigeonholed into one single department. This might bring down or stall their professional development. In a startup, due to limited number of resources and employees, employees may have to take up jobs that entail varied skills and learn a thing or two new about it. In this way, employees get a chance to build skills that are relevant across diverse roles and industries. It is the entrepreneur’s job to provide such a platform for their team.

Working with a startup comes with its own set of challenges and perks. As an entrepreneur, it is your duty to provide your employees with the bare essentials that will make their experience of working with your company worthwhile.