The Founder and Your First Hire

15 January 2020In The Founder, Start Up, HR1 Minutes

Your mission cannot be accomplished in a vacuum. It will need you as the Founder to get people on your team. Be fearless about this. Arguably, this is your single most important responsibility throughout the life of your organization. Do not try and do this alone. Find that first person to bring onto your team. Train, empower and move onto finding the second person. If you can’t find the first person, you’ll never be able to find the second.

Your first hire should not ever be your assistant. Do not make this mistake. You’re looking for someone that will help you build your dream, challenge you when it’s needed, and believes in what you’re trying to do. You’re looking for a partner.

Tom Stader

Tom Stader has worked within the International NPO/NGO sector since 2005. He has experience working in Mainland China, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the USA. In 2007, Tom founded The Library Project, which donates to rural elementary school and orphanage libraries in Asia, and most recently, Nonprofit Insights. Tom understands the real-world challenges that Founders and NPO/NGO professionals face. He understands that our work is not easy, there are never straight lines in development work, and support is hard to find.

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