Your team talent is your startup’s most important asset. Without layers of management or established departments, how your people collaborate and communicate is key. But when everyone’s wearing five hats and moving fast, it’s easy for teamwork to fall by the wayside.

Before you can build a strong team, you need a solid foundation. If you haven’t set up your business yet, you can form your limited company online in just a few minutes with 1st Formations, one of the UK’s most trusted company formation agents.

Here are seven proven strategies to help startup founders build positive, supportive teams from the very start.

1.  Hire for collaboration, not just skill

You might be tempted to focus solely on skills and experience when building your early team. But in a small startup, how someone works is just as important as what they can do. A brilliant developer or marketer won’t add much value if they can’t communicate clearly or work well with others.

When hiring, look for people who demonstrate adaptability, emotional intelligence, and a collaborative mindset. Ask about how they’ve handled teamwork challenges in the past. Include team-based tasks in your interview process to see how they interact in real time. Choosing the right personalities early on will save a lot of conflict and rework later.

2.  Establish a strong onboarding process

The first few weeks set the tone for someone’s entire experience with your business. A clear and supportive onboarding process can help new hires feel welcomed and settle into your culture more easily. This will help them have a positive and productive start in their roles.

Make sure you have the basics in place. Send a welcome email detailing what their first day will look like. Schedule a team introduction. And provide a simple ‘get started’ checklist, including completing any necessary security training and getting logged on to their email and other tools.

You could include one-on-one sessions with the founder or team leads to talk through values, goals, and expectations. Even if you’re a small startup, this kind of structure shows new hires they’re joining something purposeful and organised.

3.  Use the right tools to keep everyone connected

Startups often run on tight schedules and tight budgets. But if you invest in the right tools, it can help small teams operate like much bigger ones. Collaboration platforms like Slack, Trello, Notion, and Google Workspace allow for all team members to have real-time visibility over the status of tasks, enabling for more efficient communication.

These are especially beneficial for remote or hybrid teams. They reduce miscommunication and keep everyone on the same page, no matter where they’re working from. The more connected your team feels, the stronger your overall collaboration will be.

4.  Build trust through regular check-ins and 1:1s

One of the fastest ways to improve teamwork is to make time for individual check-ins. These conversations help build trust, make sure any problems surface early, and show team members that they’re supported.

Make one-on-ones a regular part of your calendar, and not just something you do when there’s a problem. Use them to ask how people are feeling, what they’re stuck on, and how you can support their growth. When people feel listened to and understood, they’re more likely to go the extra mile for their team and the wider business.

5.  Celebrate progress, not just big wins

Startups move quickly, and it’s easy to focus on what’s next without celebrating what you’ve already achieved. But taking time to acknowledge milestones, big or small, can boost morale and reinforce a sense of shared purpose.

You don’t need to spend money to do this well. A quick shoutout in a team meeting, or a thank you message via email can make all the difference. Recognising effort regularly helps people feel valued and more motivated to contribute.

6.  Create shared goals and team rituals

When everyone’s aligned on what success looks like, you get better results and stronger collaboration. That’s why it’s worth spending time creating shared goals and rituals.

Many companies do this by having weekly standups and quarterly performance or company results meetings. These routines help structure your time, foster accountability, and build team culture in a natural way. Even small habits, like ending the week with “three things we’re proud of” can create a sense of unity.

7.  Make time for fun

Team building doesn’t have to mean cringeworthy games or expensive away days completing personality questionnaires. The best activities are the ones that feel natural to your team.

Ask what people enjoy and be creative. It could be a monthly team walk, a 5-a-side football team, pizza and board games after work, or collaboratively building an online playlist to listen to. The goal is to create low-pressure ways for people to connect, relax, and build relationships outside of their day-to-day tasks.

Start building a better team today

In the early days of a startup, it’s easy to focus on product, funding, or growth. But none of that will get far without a strong, united team behind it. Pick one or two of the strategies above to start with and build from there. The culture you create now will shape your business for years to come.

And if you haven’t set up a company yet, don’t forget to check out 1st Formations’ company formation packages. They make it quick, simple and affordable to start your business the right way.