Summary List Placement Startups will always want to hire people who are eager to roll up their sleeves and get work done. But in a year where businesses faced more cataclysmic events than usual, startups are looking for more than a strong work ethic in their next hires, according to the people who are hiring. At venture capital firms, specialized recruiters known as talent partners are tasked with helping their portfolio-companies recruit and hire. That gives them the inside scoop on what startups are looking for in job candidates right now.