People development in startups

Abstract Purpose: This article aims to analyze how the practices related to the development of people in startups are configured. Originality/value: 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.