What is an incremental hiring pattern in startups?


The incremental hiring pattern goes very close with agile development and resource allocation. With agile development, the team learns to do sizing for tasks, while looking at the epic and stories. All the task for all individuals that are part of the agile sprint get added up and a project plan is formed. From the project plan, it’s easy to determine resource allocation, i.e. how many current folks required and whether additional hiring is needed. If additional hiring is needed, we go into incremental hiring pattern.

Based on needs, a position is opened. Agile development is a system of execution and lots of time when people have worked in waterfall model, they struggle in agile. In water fall, there is padding in tasks, i.e. put down more time than required in the planning. However agile development tasks are concrete. Since agile development gets done on the fly with the whole team watching, everyone is really visible. So when the position is open, it’s very important that the person will fit in.

After interviewing, the hire is on the team. It usually takes about 2-4 weeks till the person gets settled. If the person works out well, then the resource allocation problem is solved. Now the team can execute better. If the person doesn’t work out, then follow the hire and fire pattern. It’s better to let people go that are not working out. Hire all the best for your team. But do incremental hiring, if possible. Learn the behavior and adjustment of the position before hiring the next person. This gives business a justification for your hiring.





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