"...I am sure you have heard the adage of people making a business many times before. It is probably the second most-used phrase after an army marching on its stomach.

Why then, I wonder, do many startups and small businesses make mistakes while choosing the right people? How does one come about the right combination of people to make a successful team? How to identify the people you must not hire? Namrata Singh, Founder, Antfort, a Mumbai-based HR, process and web solutions company focusing on the digital, media and retail verticals, says that the first thing startups need to do is go beyond the obvious reasons why one would want to hire an employee.

What not to look for
... Singh points out the four not-to-dos—hiring people because they seem brainy, because one likes them, because they seem driven or because they are cheap. These four reasons should be junked even before you think of scouting.

Where do you look for them?
Antfort's Singh believes that you are wasting your time if you are looking to put up advertisements for filling your positions. She is right. Most founders say that a majority of their first employees were not even looking for a job, but rather came on board from the desire to create something new.

Singh believes that bar camps and college circles are the best places to hire from. She believes that good things travel faster and more effectively by word-of-mouth. "Look in your post graduate and engineering school networks," she says. "This is where you will find your best employees, referred to you by your own friends."

Is there a place for social media in hiring?
We all know that LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are the latest buzzwords in the hiring circles. But are they really working on the ground?

Antfort's Singh believes that the stumble-upon aspect of these social media sites provides an edge to the startups. "HR consultants cannot get you your employees," she says. "You need mavens who believe in you or people who stumble upon a startup of their interest." "

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