Today even new startups can teach established businesses a lot about attracting and retaining quality talent. How do they do this without the hefty pay packages, superior work environments and additional perks and benefits that larger organizations are armed with? The answer often lies in their motivating company vision and communication that gets employees on board and enthused about being part of building something great. But startups can lose this advantage easily as they scale, and miss out on engaging some of their key employees due to a lack of a planned strategy. In fact, the Dale Carnegie India Employee Engagement report showed that larger companies in India (with more than 100,000 employees) tended to have the lowest amount of disengaged employees (just 5%), while smaller companies (between 501-100 employees) had a higher 14% of disengaged employees. So here are a few things for startups to keep in mind so that employees are willing to do their best work for your business:

Build a Great Employer Brand

Most large corporations tend to look and act the same. Decide what sets your start up apart (besides your disruptive product) - it could be your flat structure, strong ethics, community focus or your unconventional approach. Map out what qualities your ideal candidate would find important and include the ones which match your larger business goals. Whatever you decide, make sure it will be able to represent your brand for the long term as you will have to live these values and inspire future candidates with them for years to come. An aspirational, long-term vision and (how you intend to achieve it) is often why employees move to startups in the first place. Go one step further and differentiate your company from other start-ups by finding something truly unique, which your company can “own” and become known for.

Exceed Expectations about your Company Culture

Startups have the ability to be refreshingly honest in interviews, which is highly appreciated by candidates. Don’t make grandiose promises to fresh hires. Instead be realistic with them about the type and amount of work which is expected. This does not mean focusing on the negatives, but instead giving them a clear picture, while also mentioning the great aspects of joining the team. Having game-changing people at the helm usually acts as a strong magnet for exceptional talent who want to work with other like-minded people. If your company is lucky enough to have these founders/leaders, make sure to capitalize on it. Once a candidate is on board, this is your best chance to exceed his expectations with your great policies and workplace culture.

Offer coveted non-monetary Benefits

Salary alone is not a strong determinant of employee motivation. Smart startups make the maximum use of non-monetary perks like flexi-time, ESOPs, work from home and company sponsored training. Investing in your employees’ future shows them that they mean a lot to the company, while the flexible work hours will help them maintain work-life balance and perform better. It is difficult for large organizations to offer this sort of flexibility to all their employees or implement the latest developments in working styles and structures. Put your petite size and relatively high responsiveness to use by updating your employee offerings regularly. Don’t forget to publicize these benefits, especially if they are unconventional, as they make for great talking points.

Enforce strong Employee Recognition plans

No one wants to be a faceless bot in an endless stream of workers. Your start up is a chance for high-performing individuals to stand out and be recognized. Play the David and Goliath game because this can be more motivating than you think- especially for individuals who are tired of putting in loads of time and effort and it going unappreciated in larger companies.

Measure and Improve

A large portion of motivated people value ownership in their work and abhor micro-management. Others love the idea of working in cross-functional roles. Depending on which industry you are in, employees may value different aspects. Why not ask them what they find important and try to introduce the common variables. It is a great motivator for an employee to know that he is being heard and his suggestions acted upon. Quick reviews or employee engagement surveys have shown to be very effective in determining what companies or HR should focus on first.

"At the end of the day, you bet on people, not on strategies" - Larry Bossidy

Moreover, according to a Dale Carnegie study, companies with engaged employees have been shown to out- perform those without by up to 202 percent! It is never too early to put in place a simple employee engagement plan for your startup. Employees are your biggest asset which will move the company forward and missing out on engaging them is a risk you cannot afford.