This article is first in our "Startup Series" where we'll explore the ins and outs of the Columbus startup culture and community.
A “startup” is the term for a new business venture that wants to innovate and make a difference in their chosen industry and in their community. In order to be successful and recruit top talent, many startups share a common set of values that make them great places to work, like the four reasons listed below.
Interested in joining our growing team here at ScriptDrop? Check out our team & culture page to see if we’re a good fit!
1. You’ll be valued for who you are right now, not where you’ve been.
Are you still trying to find your niche in a particular industry? Making a career change and unsure where you fit in? Startups are perfect for you because they tend to hire based on traits like willingness to learn, motivation, humility, grit, and a team-focused mindset.
They don’t always expect a candidate to have ten years of experience; it’s more important to be a good communicator and a generous collaborator. People who are brilliant but selfish and demanding don’t last long in most startups.
As a result, startup employees tend to have diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise. You’ll work with a lot of smart, ambitious people you might not have met otherwise. You’ll build a network effortlessly, and also find yourself being mentored – and mentoring others – in an organic way.
2. The pace will be fast, and opportunity will be everywhere.
Startup leaders are never interested in following an existing playbook and going for the safe, beige option. They’re looking for disruption and creative solutions, so if you’re an idea person, a startup is the place for you.
You will have the chance to make choices on your own, work with greater freedom than ever before, and innovate with your colleagues. Yes, this means you will mess up sometimes. Startups not only recognize that failures happen, but also that mistakes are our best teachers. Learn what you can from them, and then move on.
This kind of decision-making, mistake-making, and iteration doesn’t happen slowly, either. Instead of working on sloth-like projects that take three years to move past the planning stage, you’ll see how major projects can be broken into manageable pieces, completed, and then analyzed for success within months or even weeks.
This break-neck pace can be exhausting, but it also gives you the chance to learn many different facets of the company and wear many different hats. It’s rare for an employee’s position at a startup to remain exactly as written in the job posting; instead, it will grow with your interests and strengths, as well as with the needs of the company. You will have a much greater level of control over your future than ever before.
The ScriptDrop team having fun at the Scioto River after some boat races!
3. Your office environment and culture will be human-centered.
Since startup companies are smaller and want to invest in their company culture, they’re far more likely to choose pleasant workspaces from the get-go. Startups tend to build cozy workspaces with natural light, modern conference rooms, and comfortable seating for ad hoc meetings.
Flexible hours and working remotely are often part of the culture, as well. This might mean that you’ll need to get up early or stay late to accommodate a unique project or a customer in a different time zone or you may need to travel for an in-person all-staff meeting, but these inconveniences tend to be balanced by a greater flexibility overall. You won’t have to schedule every doctor’s appointment after 5 pm, and you’ll be able to take multiple days of PTO at a time.
To put it simply, you’ll be treated like a responsible adult – you only have to keep up your side of the bargain and get the job done.
ScriptDrop supporting the Grandview Hop!
4. There will be perks!
Just like typical employer benefits (health insurance, a 401(k), etc.), the details of the perks provided will vary from company to company. They could include anything from free parking to free lunch and from beer on tap to nap rooms. You might be able to work from home whenever you see fit or take a few hours each week to volunteer in the community. Free swag like T-Shirts and reusable water bottles are almost always given to new hires, so you can show off the company name to the world.
Of course, perks aren’t the main reason to work for a startup, as we’ve shown you here; these small, agile, energetic companies treat their employees like trustworthy adults, give them immense opportunity to develop their careers, and offer an unparalleled level of flexibility.