Campbell MacDonald - Co-founder, Pathful
Motivating and energizing a team with a limited budget can always seem challenging. It can feel daunting running a startup with a limited budget. So while a startup may not be able to shower an employee with a massive salary, there are tools at your disposal that larger companies really cannot use.
1. Autonomy: We give our team tons of latitude around work hours, location and vacation time. While many companies are starting to embrace this, most large companies do not.
2. Bigger role: Big fish, small pond. Normally that’s an insult. But for employees, having a way bigger role in the direction and decisions of an organization can be rewarding and is a way for them to really stretch their wings. It also gives them an opportunity to take on more senior roles that will leave them better prepared for future roles.
3. Mission: Related to the above, if your company is mission-driven (social impact, disruptive technology, etc.), having a stake in a business that is changing the future can be extremely motivating for teams to go above and beyond.
4. Equity: Sure, you may not be able to offer top-market salary, but you can offer up equity that gives them a stake in a growing business and outsize returns if the company is successful. For the right individuals, this will make them behave like an owner and become much more aligned with the business.
Marrett Green - Founder, Green Tree Recycling Systems
As with many startup entrepreneurs about to launch a crowdfunding campaign, I found myself short on funds and with a long list of tasks to be done. My product is a grey-water recycling system that fits snugly in apartment/condo bathrooms. Very green. Very new. But I needed a lot of help. So I set about getting together a team that would work for free until the money started coming in.
Managing a team with salaries can be difficult. Without funds, it requires a lot of skill in motivation. Here are some pointers for a smoother journey:
1. Start with the best. Expect to conduct hundreds of interviews, prepare the right questions to identify the skill sets and attitude you require to implement your strategy and the goals/skills the volunteer wishes to attain. You will interview and train 10 to 15 people to find one team member.
2. Share successes. Without being cheesy or hokey, share all your progress and enthusiasm openly. Use team members’ excitement and energy to fuel others by encouraging members to briefly share good news and accomplishments.
3. Get to know your staff. Every member has personal reasons for participating. It’s critical you identify these, whether it’s growth, money or the potential to make a contribution. Know what fuel works best with each engine to keep the momentum.
4. Have buy-in for your product. In my case, my staff support sustainability, so they are willing to work hard – even for free – for a greener future.
5. “One bad apple can spoil the bunch.” Even the best screening questions can fail. Be quick to discard any bad apples immediately as one can quickly disturb, even destroy, the work environment you spent months building.
Roger Killen - Producer, TEDxStanleyPark
Motivating TEDxStanleyPark staff with no budget begins with choosing the right volunteers. Fortunately the TEDx brand attracts people with strong motivation to create an event that delivers “ideas worth spreading.”
When I received a licence from TED, I started the recruitment effort by writing down the vision, mission, values, theme and goals for the event. This gave clarity to both potential staff and me.
I targeted candidates for three executive positions: marketing director, program director and partnership director. After seeing the content of the event and the vision/mission statement, they seldom said no.
The executives agreed on key performance indicators (KPIs). They each then recruited five or six team members using the same vision, mission, values, theme and goals that had first helped recruit the executives themselves.
Following this strategy, we formed a core group of 20 or so like-minded people who are focused on a common vision: to produce a legendary event.
You can achieve enormous power when individuals are committed to a group effort.
When there is little or no budget to pay anyone, other currencies can be used: respect, recognition and low- or no-cost treats such as a LinkedIn referral, a reference letter, an introduction or a certificate of appreciation. The loyalty these can command is huge.
Some volunteers rise to the occasion and others fall short. When the latter happens, fire fast and backfill carefully.
Flexibility is essential as group members’ life circumstances change.
