Contributed by Adam Robinson, the Chief Hireologist at Hireology.

While the macroeconomic picture in the United States isn’t exactly where we’d like it to be, many startups and early stage firms are thriving. With this success comes the need to hire new staff, and it’s critical for growing companies to know how to approach the hiring process.

At this critical early stage in their life, choosing the wrong person for that first or second hire can be potentially devastating. When I’m asked by early stage CEOs for guidance on hiring, I typically give them some version of the following advice.