5 Hiring Mistakes Melbourne Startups Keep Making (and How to Avoid Them)

Hiring is one of the biggest levers for startup growth, but also one of the easiest ways to stall it. In Melbourne’s startup scene, where speed, funding, and market fit are always competing for attention, hiring often becomes reactive. The result is a string of common mistakes that cost more than just time.

Whether you’ve just secured your first round of funding or you're scaling your engineering team past the founder stage, here are five hiring traps that keep showing up across Melbourne tech startups — and what to do instead.

1. Hiring too fast without defining the role properly

A sudden product push, a key team member resigning, or pressure from investors can trigger a hiring scramble. That urgency often leads to rushed job ads and unclear briefs. Startups end up hiring someone who looks good on paper but doesn't fit what the team actually needs.

What to do instead: Pause and define what success looks like. Clarify the outcomes this hire will deliver, the must-have skills, and how the role fits into the bigger picture. If you're working with a recruiter, bring them into the fold early and share your current challenges and team dynamics.

Even a one-page brief covering the role’s first 90 days can sharpen focus and help avoid a misfire.

2. Prioritising perfect CVs over real potential

Startups thrive on adaptability, problem-solving, and growth mindset — but those qualities rarely show up on a CV. Too many hiring managers focus only on polished resumes and big-brand experience.

That might work at an enterprise company, but not in a 12-person startup where agility matters more than a tidy career path.

What to do instead:Look beyond traditional markers of success. Seek out candidates who’ve built side projects, learned on the job, or worked in messy environments. Ask about how they handled uncertainty, not just what tools they’ve used.

A slightly unconventional background can be a sign of flexibility and drive — both of which are crucial in early-stage teams.

3. Offering junior salaries for senior expectations

Melbourne has incredible tech talent, but it is a competitive market. If you're expecting someone who can write code, lead teams, mentor juniors, and talk to customers, but the salary reflects a mid-level role, you are setting yourself up for mismatches or short tenures.

What to do instead:Know what your budget can realistically support. If you cannot match market salaries, offer other meaningful incentives — such as flexibility, learning opportunities, equity, or early-stage impact. Be honest about what the role offers and why it matters.

Sometimes a high-potential mid-level candidate with room to grow will outperform someone with years of experience but little motivation.

4. Depending on one hiring channel and calling it a strategy

Posting to one job board and hoping for the best is not a hiring strategy. It limits your visibility and leaves you vulnerable to timing, luck, and chance. The best candidates — especially in tech — are rarely sitting on job boards waiting for your post.

What to do instead:Think multi-channel. Tap into referrals, alumni networks, targeted outreach, and trusted recruiters. Consider re-engaging previous applicants or sourcing passively via LinkedIn. Even spending a few hours a week on outreach can widen your pool and improve quality.

Great candidates often need to be found, not just discovered.

5. Skipping onboarding because “we’re too busy”

Startups are always sprinting, so it is common to see new hires thrown into Slack and expected to figure it out. No walkthrough, no clear plan, no feedback loops. That slows things down and increases the risk of early churn.

What to do instead:Build a lightweight onboarding plan. A checklist with links to key tools, internal documents, who to talk to, and what to focus on in the first 30 days is a great start. Set up a few check-ins and encourage questions early on.

Even basic structure goes a long way in helping new hires settle in and perform well quickly.

Hiring Smarter Starts with Slowing Down

Early-stage companies will always face pressure to move fast, but that doesn't mean hiring needs to be rushed or reactive. A few simple changes can make a big difference in attracting the right people and keeping them engaged.

At Grow Talent, we work with Melbourne startups to build scalable hiring processes and help founders make confident people decisions. Whether you're recruiting your first engineer or scaling up your product team, we can help you avoid these mistakes and move forward with clarity.

Want to see what’s working for other Melbourne startups? Let’s talk.