How to Use LinkedIn to Build Your Management Dream Team

Because LinkedIn lets you connect with professionals in all sorts of fields all over the planet you can use it to find team members. When you’re looking for funding of any amount, one of the top things that any investor will want to see is your management team. No matter how great your idea is, the execution of that idea will determine your success. Investors see one way to mitigate the risk of their investment by rewarding strong management teams that have the skill to weather unexpected turns. If your management team is lacking in at least one key area, consider LinkedIn as a source to find that missing person.

Here are some things to keep in mind when doing a search on LinkedIn for your next team member:

• Experience is key: Although desire, motivation, and interest are important, the way to improve your chances of getting funding is to have experienced personnel. This means that when searching for potential candidates, you should study each person’s profile to gauge the documented experience at past positions first; then see whether their interests match your company’s interests.

  
  



• Pick complements, not carbon copies: It’s very tempting for an entrepreneur to seek out like-minded individuals with similar backgrounds to build a business. However, companies with the strongest growth had a diverse management team that could handle different situations because the team’s skills complemented each other. Put your business needs ahead of your personal preference. Look for LinkedIn members whose profiles indicate strengths that aren’t yet represented in your startup.

  
  



• Gauge the strength of the candidate’s network: Any time you look to add someone to your organization, you should be asking what value the person could bring through his existing network. (After all, who you know can make the difference.) When you connect with someone, see who’s a part of his network, if possible. See what groups and affiliations, websites, and Q&A are on the candidate’s profile, because that indicates his overall reach into the greater network.

  
  

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