People development in startups

Considering that, until then, studies referring to startups focused on their concept, characteristics, and key success factors, this research contributes to filling a gap in the theory, as it presents a people development model suited to the characteristics of startups and, in this way, it makes possible to the founders or managers of startups to use the findings of this research in order to improve their performance.

Design/methodology/approach:

The methodological aspects of this research are characterized by exploratory and qualitative research. Semi-structured interviews are used as a collection technique in 16 startups.

Findings:

We observed that in startups: Teamwork is prioritized, the work environment is informal, the development of competencies occurs in the work environment itself through self-development or training provided by specialized professionals or by the leadership, there is flexibility in the time, place, manner in which activities are carried out, and the employee may even act in activities that would not be the responsibility of the position held.

Keywords:
high performance; human resource development; startups; competencies; people management

Questions	Authors
How are new skills developed within teams?	Macky and Boxall (2008)Macky, K., & Boxall, P. (2008). High-Involviment work processes, work intensification, and employee well-being: A study of New Zealand worker experiences. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 46(1), 38–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017013512714 https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017013512714... and Souza et al. (2015)Souza, F. A. S., Lemos, A. H. C., Cavazotte, F. S. C. N., & Malva, T. R. J. (2015). Atraindo novos funcionários para empresas de alta performance: Uma crítica às razões dos profissionais de recursos humanos. Cadernos EBAPE.BR, 1(13), 103–120. https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-395111500 https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-395111500...
How is the autonomy that employees have established? How do employees feel when they have more autonomy?	Appelbaum et al. (2000)Appelbaum, E., Bailey, T., & Berg, P. (2000). Manufacturing advantage: Why high-performance systems pay off. ILR Press., Hughes (2008)Hughes, J. (2008). The high-performance paradigm: A review and evaluation. [Learning as Work Research Paper 1-16]. Cardiff School of Social Sciences, UK. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242107746_The_HighPerformance_Paradigm_A_Review_and_Evaluation https://www.researchgate.net/publication... , and Souza et al. (2015)Souza, F. A. S., Lemos, A. H. C., Cavazotte, F. S. C. N., & Malva, T. R. J. (2015). Atraindo novos funcionários para empresas de alta performance: Uma crítica às razões dos profissionais de recursos humanos. Cadernos EBAPE.BR, 1(13), 103–120. https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-395111500 https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-395111500...
Since employees have more responsibilities, teams are lean and need to present quick results. Is it understood that this generates an increase in the level of stress for employees? How do you handle it?	Hewlett and Luce (2006)Hewlett, S., & Luce, C. (2006). Extreme jobs: The dangerous allure of the 70-hour workweek. Harvard Business Review, 86(12), 49–59., Sparham and Sung (2007)Sparham, E., & Sung, J. (2007). High-performancee work practices—work intensification or ‘win-win’? [Working Paper 50 Centre for Labour Market Studies 1-20]. University of Leicester. Leicester, UK. file:///C:/Users/edson/Downloads/wrkIntensificationSparham.pdf, Green (2000)Green, F. (2000). Why has work effort become more intense? Conjectures and evidence about effort-biased technical change and other stories. [Working Paper Department of Economics 1–48] University of Kent, Canterbury, UK. https://www.kent.ac.uk/economics/repec/0003.pdf https://www.kent.ac.uk/economics/repec/0... , and Souza et al. (2015)Souza, F. A. S., Lemos, A. H. C., Cavazotte, F. S. C. N., & Malva, T. R. J. (2015). Atraindo novos funcionários para empresas de alta performance: Uma crítica às razões dos profissionais de recursos humanos. Cadernos EBAPE.BR, 1(13), 103–120. https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-395111500 https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-395111500...
How often and how is training given to teams? How is group work encouraged?	Appelbaum et al. (2000)Appelbaum, E., Bailey, T., & Berg, P. (2000). Manufacturing advantage: Why high-performance systems pay off. ILR Press., Macky and Boxall (2008)Macky, K., & Boxall, P. (2008). High-Involviment work processes, work intensification, and employee well-being: A study of New Zealand worker experiences. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 46(1), 38–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017013512714 https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017013512714... , and Souza et al. (2015)Souza, F. A. S., Lemos, A. H. C., Cavazotte, F. S. C. N., & Malva, T. R. J. (2015). Atraindo novos funcionários para empresas de alta performance: Uma crítica às razões dos profissionais de recursos humanos. Cadernos EBAPE.BR, 1(13), 103–120. https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-395111500 https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-395111500...
Are teams cross-functional?	Huselid (1995)Huselid, M. A. (1995). The impact of human resource management practices on turnover, productivity, and corporate financial performance. Academy of Management Journal, 38(3), 635–672. https://doi.org/10.5465/256741 https://doi.org/10.5465/256741... , Hartog and Verburg (2004)Hartog, D. N. D., & Verburg, R. M. (2004). High-performance work systems, organizational culture, and firm effectiveness. Human Resource Management Journal, 14(1), 55–78. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-8583.2004.tb00112.x https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-8583.2004... , and Souza et al. (2015)Souza, F. A. S., Lemos, A. H. C., Cavazotte, F. S. C. N., & Malva, T. R. J. (2015). Atraindo novos funcionários para empresas de alta performance: Uma crítica às razões dos profissionais de recursos humanos. Cadernos EBAPE.BR, 1(13), 103–120. https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-395111500 https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-395111500...

	Characteristics of the startups	Number of startups (16)
Startup type	Fintechs	4
	Systems development and implementation	3
	Delivery services	3
	HR services	3
	Specialized services	3
Time of existence	From 2 to 3 years	2
	From 3 to 4 years	2
	From 4 to 5 years	3
	From 5 to 6 years	3
	Over six years	6
Number of employees	From 60 to 100	2
	From 101 to 200	2
	From 201 to 300	2
	From 301 to 400	3
	From 401 to 500	6
	Above 500	1

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[1] Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jose Ricardo Melenchion, Avenida Doutor Arnaldo, 1753, São Paulo, SP, Brasil, ZIP code 01255-000. Email: ricrh8@gmail.com