- Abhilash, CEO of Naxatra Labs, hired over 20 employees using local WhatsApp groups
- He shared a one-page Gujarati job description with nearby shops for distribution
- Referrals earning Rs 200 for two weeks of employment led to quick staff recruitment
An Ahmedabad entrepreneur shared a viral story about using local WhatsApp groups to hire over 20 employees for his factory, solving a pressing staffing challenge. Abhilash, CEO of Naxatra Labs, credited the "first principles" approach for the successful hiring process. In a post on X, he explained that his company faced a tight deadline to deliver orders after opening a new factory, prompting him to find creative solutions for staffing and production.
After exploring various options, he utilised WhatsApp groups to recruit staff. He distributed a one-page job description in Gujarati to nearby shops, asking them to forward it in local groups with a promise of Rs 200 for successful referrals. This method yielded 20 hires within a week, demonstrating the effectiveness of thinking outside traditional routes and applying first principles.
"We opened up our new factory and we had significant orders with a limited time frame to deliver. We shifted everything, set up machinery but the challenge was finding line technicians who help us in assembly line. We followed the typical route to ITIs but they had semesters ongoing. Went to contract agencies, they were not ready to support for 15-20 technicians. We spent 5-6 days figuring out every possible way," he wrote.
"We went to every nearby shops in village and shared them job one pager in gujarati language. Told them forward it in your local groups, if a person joins and stay in our company for 2 weeks, we will pay you INR 200. It worked. We hired 20 people within a week. Sometimes normal routes don't really work but nothing beats first principals approach," he added.
See the post here:
X users praised Abhilash's strategy, admiring the approach for its effectiveness when traditional methods fall short. Many applauded the ingenuity of using local WhatsApp groups to tap into community networks. Some shared their own experiences of leveraging WhatsApp for business success, highlighting its adaptability in various situations.
One user wrote, "It's been my experience that WhatsApp works like a charm in many situations. Even when starting up a new product, WhatsApp status gave me more traction than anything."
Another commented, "Thinking out of the box is a way of life in an entrepreneurial journey."
A third said, "amazing hustle — referral sweeteners ftw."
