Why Your Company Should Focus More on Hiring Intrapreneurs

The employee recruitment process can be a very intricate one. Apart from checking for qualifications, ethics and general fit, Recruiters also must ensure that each recruit understands their role and would perform it to the best of their ability. However, there is a way to make this process easier. A strategy that would reduce the quantity of time and resources spent selecting the right employees while ensuring you get the best job candidates hired. And that is by hiring ‘Intrapreneurs’.

Much like an entrepreneur, an intrapreneur is an individual with great and innovative ideas, who uses those ideas to solve a common problem or meet a need, but within an organization (usually, where he/she works). To put it plainly, an intrapreneur is an entrepreneur who works within an organization. They are creative, passionate and have a thirst for work, and prove to be great employees no matter where they work.

A common problem that a lot of people encounter when thinking of hiring Intrapreneurs is how long they’ll last within the company before moving on to start their own business. But this can be easily avoided if you make working with you worthwhile. While they provide you with amazing ideas, innovative solutions and inspiring work ethic, you provide them with value. Incorporating Human Capital Development programs like seminars, educational courses and more, you’ll provide them with more than enough incentive to always see why working with you, in any capacity, is a great idea.

If you’re still not sure, here are a few more points that will convince you that hiring intrapreneurs is always a great corporate move!

1. Natural Drive

One of the many reasons why 9 out of 10 small businesses fail is due to lack of motivation. Most entrepreneurs do not make money from their businesses for the first couple of years. All they have, to keep them going is the drive they feel in their belly – the passion behind their product/service.

This natural drive pushes them to go beyond limits. Intrapreneurs stay as long as it takes to get the job done, do all that is required to move to the next level and work as hard as they can to achieve results. Their hunger keeps them from watching the clock until it hits 5 PM and keeps them on the grind. Hiring an intrapreneur whose vision and line of work aligns with yours is a match made in business heaven and one you should always look out for.

2. Idea Generation

Intrapreneurs are gifted in generating ideas and making those ideas happen. They have a natural passion for solutions and as soon as the need arises or they notice a void that needs filling, their minds get to work to make sure they provided the necessary solutions. An intrapreneur would be willing and able to think, conceptualize, materialize and execute an idea in search of a solution.

This is especially beneficial to your company for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, having a human capital base that is majorly made up of intrapreneurs will help develop a forward-thinking culture. In cultures such as these, ideas are constantly being generated and potential problems are noticed before they become harmful to the company. Secondly, your company would become the solutions provider where customers have their needs met. There will never be a lack of ideas at your company.

3. Passion

If there’s anything any entrepreneur would tell you, it’s that you cannot run a business without passion. Passion is the fuel that makes you wake up and show up even when you haven’t caught your big break. It is what keeps you up at night thinking about solutions. And it is what keeps you going, when the going gets tough. And every true intrapreneur has passion.

Hiring an intrapreneur that has passion saves you a lot of hassle. You do not need to force them to show up to work or even push them to get the job done – they want it just as bad as you do. Working with intrapreneurs makes the job easier because they see their success as your success and vice versa. Intrapreneurs take the initiative to think outside the box and come up with solutions that are new, innovative and effective. In the end, this motivates your employees who don’t have the entrepreneurial spirit to be more effective, do their best and give their job all they’ve got to make sure you all achieve success.

4. Branching Out

Entrepreneurs are their bosses. Intrapreneurs are bosses under a boss, and this is to your advantage. If you own a company that is looking to evolve and branch out at the need of the day, then you need to have intrapreneurs in your ranks. They can lead branches you eventually have and treat it like it's theirs i.e.: they will do any and everything to make sure business grows. Their innovative and leadership skills make them born leaders which also means they would be great to lead teams, projects and organisations.

You can be rest assured that your affairs will be handled well with intrapreneurs who have a natural drive to win.

5. Networking

In most cases, entrepreneurs are as strong as their network, and these entrepreneurs (or intrapreneurs) take their network very seriously. Look at it this way – the stronger your network as an entrepreneur, the stronger your ability to make things happen.

How does this benefit your company? Having a lot of intrapreneurs working for you gives you access to their network. Your employees would be willing to pull the right strings and make the right calls to ensure your latest project pans out well. You would be able to make ideas happen faster and explore new and interesting business opportunities. Also, when your intrapreneur employees move on to start their businesses, you would have the opportunity to form partnerships with them or simply work together on many projects.

Your ability to pull various intrapreneurs together under your employment doesn’t just make your business look good; it also works in your businesses favour. You’ll have access to smart, forward-minded individuals that take working as seriously as you do and would be willing to work hard to make both your business dreams come true.